


When the Masks Come Off

by EvrM0re91



Category: Persona 5, Persona Series
Genre: Abusive Parents, Angst, Canon Rewrite, Canonical Character Death, Character Development, Counting protag as an oc, Cross-Posted on FanFiction.Net, Developing Friendships, Developing Healthy Coping Mechanisms, Emotional Baggage, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, Eventual Relationships, Eventual Romance, Families of Choice, Female Arsene - Freeform, Female Friendship, Female Joker - Freeform, Female Persona 5 Protagonist, Female Protagonist, First Love, Fix-It of Sorts, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Found Families, Friendship, Friendship/Love, Gen, Genderswap, Healing, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, Implied/Referenced Sexual Assault, Implied/Referenced Sexual Harassment, Male Friendship, Male Velvet Room Attendant, Male-Female Friendship, Mental Health Issues, Multi, Non-Canonical Ending, Original Characters - Freeform, Panic Attacks, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Romance, Rythmic Gymnastics, Ryuji gets to say fuck, Self-Discovery, Self-Harm, Self-Worth Issues, Sexual Harassment, Sleepovers, Slight Canon Divergence, Slow Burn, Swan Lake - Freeform, Swan Lake Allusions, Swearing, Team Bonding, Teen Romance, Text Icons, Texting, The Velvet Room (Persona Series), Trigger Warnings, Unhealthy Coping Mechanisms, mostly where sumire is involved, new confidants
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-02
Updated: 2021-03-05
Packaged: 2021-03-10 22:54:44
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 14
Words: 94,225
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28494930
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EvrM0re91/pseuds/EvrM0re91
Summary: Her only crime was being a girl trying to stand up to a man. Now branded a violent criminal and a harlot, Chiyo's been shipped off to the city to live with a stranger and get through her year probation in peace. At her new school, it becomes clear that the corruption that put her in this situation goes far deeper than she could ever have ever imagined. Finally seeing the world for what it is, Chiyo decides to use what's been given to her and stop being scared and finally get furious. Even if it means committing a few thefts and crimes along the way.FemJoker AU
Relationships: Morgana & Persona 5 Protagonist, Other Relationship Tags to Be Added, Persona 5 Protagonist & Sakura Sojiro
Comments: 38
Kudos: 72





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Previously uploaded under my old moniker **SammieWrites**.

**When the Masks Come Off  
Prologue  
Night of the Phantom**

The sirens wailed nonstop across the casino deafening the incessant chatter amongst the customers. Some had the sense to head for the exit, others stayed rooted in place as the security personnel weaved themselves through the crowd. Each guard wore a two-piece black suit and tie with their earpieces on for communication.

Three gunshots echoed across the room prompting a few frightened screams. “Quite the audience we have tonight,” an unknown voice projected across the room. “I do love being on center stage. Hope I don’t disappoint.”

Attention from everyone, from the gamblers to the security guards, traveled to the chandler in the middle of the room. It hung about half-way down with a flat surface facing the ceiling. A figure stood on the chandler, slipping a pistol into their coat pocket, then held onto the suspension wire holding the fixture up. In their other hand, they cradled a briefcase, tucked under their arm.

It was easy to see that the person on the light fixture was a young woman despite the long coat she wore. Her light-colored hair and the white-and-black domino mask on her face stood out amongst the black and dark greys on her person. Perhaps some saw the confident smirk on her face as her eyes scanned the crowds. Perhaps others noticed the mystique of a girl in a mask. Or perhaps they simply noticed the illegal firearm she shot off. Upon spotting the men in the suits heading towards her, she spotted one muttering something into his earpiece.

Perfect.

The girl fluffed her hair and used her free hand to take the flap of her coat between her thumb and forefingers. And then, as though she were a lady in a European period film, she swept one leg behind the other and dipped herself in a curtsy. “And this is where I bow out.”

She turned on her heel and with a slight bend to her knees, she leaped up to the next light fixture.

###### 

_“Good work, Joker,”_ she heard Mona say, _“now get running!”_

Joker landed on the fixture and broke out into a sprint forward. She effortlessly leaped onto the next two fixtures as though it were second nature. Her lifelong instincts took over as she performed as she leaped from one fixture to the next, made slightly awkward thanks to the briefcase. “Yeah, I know. But I’m clearly an idiot, so tell me again.”

She heard one of the boys snicker. _“But I have to say,”_ continued Mona, _“drawing attention to yourself like that was an excellent move.”_

“I thought so myself.”

Landing on a semi-circle fixture with a glass pane, Joker spotted a trio of men in black suits hurrying to the very foyer she was headed for. “For fucks sake,” she hissed under her breath. “Oracle, I need to change route.”

_“No worries,”_ Oracle piped confidently. It was her ability that allowed the group easy communication across the casino without typical devices. _“Just give me a moment and I can pull one up for you. Everyone else, head to positions. Use Route B!”_

Joker moved straight ahead, coming across a line of arched pillars until she landed on the sturdier floor of a rounded balcony. If she had to guess, she’d say that was where the bar was.

Two of the guards cut off Joker’s path. But before they could do anything, their bodies convulsed. Their conventional human skin turned into tar-like muck. Their distinct faces became generic, featureless blue mask.

The confident smirk returned to Joker’s lips as she placed the briefcase at her feet and kicked it aside. She readied herself and performed a few handsprings towards the Shadow. On the very last handspring, Joker used the momentum to gain a little added height. She was able to get herself onto the Shadow’s shoulders upon landing. Her red-gloved hands slapped over the blue mask, her fingers dug under the edge, pulling at the mask until it came off with a pop.

Joker leaped off the Shadow’s shoulders as it’s shape changed into a large mechanical bull-like creature with a white cravat and a lower body that was an odd combination between a centaur and a naga.

Reaching into her coat, Joker pulled out a thin black stick. A wide red ribbon began to pool around at her feet as she lowered herself into a defensive stance. _“Comparing power levels…”_ Oracle spoke more to herself than to Joker. _“All right, no threat, not even a challenge. Go get ‘em, Joker!”_

Joker nodded her head as though her accomplices were right beside her. She flicked her wrists a couple of times, spiraling her the red ribbon. With her free hand, Joker reached up for her domino mask and removed it from her face. “Ravage them!”

A red and black, vaguely human, vaguely feminine figure appeared behind Joker in a flurry of blue flames. The figure lowered itself into a genuflect as the Shadow was taken out with an Eigaon curse. The Shadow stumbled back, dazed. Quickly, Joker placed her mask back on, causing the red and black creature to vanish. She held her hand to the side, still spiraling the ribbon, as she readied for more handsprings with one hand.

On the last spring, Joker fluidly landed upright on her feet, and swept her arm into a 'U' shape, slicing her ribbon into the Shadow. As it disappeared into black miasma, Joker sprinted back to grab the discarded briefcase. Once it was in her hand she placed her ribbon back in its proper place inside her coat.

Before she could celebrate her minor victory, another Shadow approached her, bringing down a sparkling police baton. Flipping backward, Joker kicked the baton out of the Shadow’s hand. Landing upright, she turned on her heel and sprinted forward. She jumped up, using the balcony railing to hive herself added lift, and leaped onto a light pillar. Pulling off similar maneuvering, Joker leaped into the foyer above it.

_“Showoff,”_ she heard Panther tease.

_“Okay, this works out,”_ quipped Oracle. _“Go through that door behind you.”_

Joker looked over her shoulder first before she turned to find a door marked ‘employees only.’ It was not long before she found herself in the back rooms of the casino. She ducked out of sight when she spotted one of the guards at the end of her path. The guard was speaking with someone on his team through his earpiece. “Yes, understood. I’ll continue the search.”

Lowering his hand from the corresponding ear, the guard took off down the direction Joker had just come from. Unaware that the person he was looking for was crouched behind the casino’s laundry cart. Once the agent was out of earshot, Joker stood back up and headed straight for the stairwell at the end of the hall.

At the head of the stairs, Joker plastered her back against the wall, keeping an ear out for any voices or foot-falls from oncoming agents. Realizing the coast was clear she went to the window, once again plastering her back to the wall. She peered on the glass, spotting the rows of people at their computers a. Security was no doubt doing what they could to find Joker and the others.

“She’s not alone! Find the others and kill them all!”

Crap.

Joker continued her trek, unnoticed by security as she walked right past them. Coming up to another flight of stairs, Joker vaguely noticed the briefcase growing heavy in her arm. The stairs lead her to a hallway with a metal door at the end. She threw her free arm forward as she approached it, throwing the door open. Joker nearly toppled over the banister overlooking the more higher-class shindigs in her rush. Her eyes scanned the scene below her and her shoulder relaxed. “Something wrong?” asked Oracle. “The exit should be up ahead.”

There wasn’t a way out, not without dropping herself into the middle of the crowd and running off the door. Joker lifted her gaze back up to find a multi-colored stained glass window, directly in front of her. Oracle couldn’t mean that, could she? “There?” she asked wearily.

She heard Oracle let out a sound of discomfort. _“That’s just how it is… You didn’t really expect to be able to walk through the front door after all, did you?”_

“No, I was expecting a fire escape.”

_“Wait can you even make it?”_

Joker bit the lower corner of her lip as she scrutinized the area. “Yep,” she said devoid of any sarcasm.

“There she is! Over there!”

Peering over her shoulder, Joker spotted three guards, their guns drawn and aimed for her. “No escape!” shouted one of them.

A plastered smile formed on Joker’s lips. Once again, she held the flap of her coat between her thumb and ring fingers in her free hand. She cursed again. Fluidly, Joker turned towards the banister, placed her free hand firmly on the surface, and pushed herself up. She ran effortlessly atop the banister, literally cutting a corner as she approached the edge to save a little time. She then stopped in front of the window, Joker raised her free hand to the top of her head, then swiftly lowered it in a salute.

And then she threw herself out the window.

She used the briefcase to shield her face as bits of colored glass flew around her. She maneuvered herself in midair, rolling onto her feet upon landing. As soon as she stood up she had to shield her eyes again when several lights aimed at her. And behind the lights were a line of police officers.

_“Enemies here?!”_ Oracle asked in disbelief.

_“What’s wrong?”_ demanded Skull.

_“These readings… It can’t be!”_

_“What happened!"_

_“Oh no, oh no!”_ chanted Oracle.

Joker pursed her lips to the side. The police, armed and ready to take action surrounded her, their spotlights aimed directly at her. Her eyes scrutinized the area, searching for any possible means of escape. Maybe not even an honest escape, just a distraction before the police could find the others. The unattended fire escape was the first thing she saw. “Sorry,” Joker muttered.

_“Joker!”_ Fox shouted as Joker sprinted to the right.

The instant she took a step, the police front line moved in after her. A few meters in front of the ladder, Joker needed a jumping start to reach the first rung. This action and the action of pulling herself up should have been an easy act for her. But not so much when she still had the briefcase in her arm.

Climbing about half-way up, Joker made the mistake of looking down to find her pursuers falling over themselves to climb up after her. Several dozen officers and one ladder were bound to be a few traffic jams. But when she looked up, Joker realized too late that a line of officers – did she dare guess they were snipers – waiting for her when she reached the top.

The gunman waiting at the head of the ladder repositioned his gun before he slammed the butt into Joker’s face. The force knocked the wind out of her; her hand slipped from the rung and she found herself free falling. The briefcase slipped from her grasp, landing a few meters away from where Joker ultimately landed.

Winded, she was not given the chance to process what happened before she was forced down on her front. Her arms were held firmly behind her back with someone’s knee planted firmly behind her shoulders. The chief of police approached her, looking down at the sorry sight in front of him. “Wasn’t expecting some little girl,” he confessed, lowering himself onto one knee. He gripped Joker by the chin, forcing her to look up at him. “You have your teammate to thank for this. You were sold out.”

“Wha…?” He released Joker’s face and stood up.

One of the officers released Joker’s right arm and pulled it up. A rush of panic claimed her before rational thought. She squirmed against her captor chanting ‘no, no, no,’ over a metallic tinkling.

Suspect confirmed. Cuff her!”

###### 

“Guess the drug was too strong. Wake her up!”

A splash of cold water brought back a near-familiar sense of panic in her. She sputtered looking up at a couple of blurred, humanoid shapes. She ached from the waist up. Her left eye was throbbing, turning an ugly shade of purple. It slowly came back to her, she was punched in the face by one of the agents after they made a rather lewd comment towards her. She retaliated by spitting in the agent's face. The shiner felt worse than the blows she took to the chest. All the aches she received came back all at once.

“No dowsing off!”

She blinked rapidly and tried to break free of her restraints, only to be met with the metallic tinkle of the chains and the cold sensation around her wrists. A slight wave of panic gripped her, she couldn’t see clearly; she was in an unfamiliar room, though she had a good idea where she was. Hadn’t she been somewhere like this before?

Her memory was still a bit fuzzy. The last thing she could remember was the sheer amount of fear that overtook her when the second needle was forced into her neck.

Why wasn’t her vision clearing? No matter how many times she blinked the haze wouldn’t clear up. She put on her contacts this morning… No. She’d been wearing her glasses for a while now. So why didn’t she have glasses on now?

Looking down at herself, she saw the white, dirtied, turtleneck shirt and red and black plaid skirt of her uniform. That’s right, the police confiscated just about everything on her person but the clothes on her back, her school blazer, her glasses, even her scarf scrunchie.

“You still don’t get it,” said the agent. He grabbed her roughly by the face, forcing her to look up at him. There was a feat in her face that traveled to her ears. “Game over. You lose. Give it up!”

In the last three words, he released her, and brought a foot up to her chest, kicking her with as much force as he dared. The wind was suddenly forced out of her; the force of the blow was enough to knock her chair over and her right out of it. Coughing, she brought her legs to her chest. “Lemme tell you how this is going to work, sweetheart,” the agent grabbed her by the hair, forcing her to sit up, “either you cooperate, or you’re getting another shot. Take your pick.”

Her eyes looked past the agent at the red light in the corner. A security camera, perhaps? Her brow twitched, something was trying to resurface in her memory...something important… Something wasn’t…

The agent, realizing where her gaze was held, looked behind him. “So, you still haven’t figured it out, have you?” The agent released her hair abruptly, causing her to fall back upon release. “There are no laws to protect criminals like you. Man or woman, you’re not above the law.”

For a moment, her brow furrowed, that one sentence brought the heat back in her cheeks, it pissed off. She didn’t have the chance to contemplate a response before the agent dropped another kick into her gut. Bringing her knees to her chest was the only thing she could think of to remotely ease her pain. She started coughing again, damn it, she still felt the pain from the last kick.

Turning on his heel, the agent reached a hand out towards one of his coworkers, who handed him a black clipboard. “Obstruction of justice, blackmail,” the agent read aloud, “defamation, possession of weapons, and...manslaughter. Talk about the works. To think all those crimes were lead by a girl like you.” The agent chuckled to himself. “Surprised me with that one I was always under the impression you would have been some snot-nosed boy. But I suppose crime knows no gender. And you seemed to be enjoying every second of it, huh?”

It was a struggle for her to remember the crimes he listed, though some did strike a chord with her. The mentions of illegal weapons and defamation almost made her smile on impulse.

“It’s about time you knew your place,” the agent said before he signaled to his partner.

A second agent approached her, unlocking the cuffs around her wrists; he grabbed her by the arm and forced her to sit up. She looked down at her hands, matching red marks circled her wrists from the cuffs being on too tight. She rubbed her hands together for a moment, trying to reassure herself that she hadn't lost feeling in her fingers. The original agent held the clipboard out to her. “Sign here. It’s a confession under your name.”

She stared at the clipboard; the characters written on the page were nothing but black blurs to her. In a moment of defiance, she batted the agent’s arm away and the confession with it. The agent grinned briefly. “I need your hand to sign it, but…” Without warning, he stomped on her right leg, a little too close to her knee, and put his weight on it. She let out a strained cry, panic rising in her chest, she needed to take care of her legs. She couldn’t afford a broken bone in her legs. “I don’t care if you end up losing a leg, girlie. Your choice.”

When the agent finally removed his foot from her leg she dared to bend the appendage at the knee. Thankfully, she didn’t think he’d broken anything, and from what she understood, if he had broken something ‘I think’ wouldn’t be her thought process. The agent shoved the clipboard into her hand and got out a pen for her. As she reached out for it, the agent grabbed her by the collar of her shirt. “Don’t expect to walk out of here in one piece, sweetheart,” he said in a hushed tone. “We’re going to make you understand… One must take full responsibility for one’s actions.”

“You say that now…” she said with a hoarse voice, “but we both know you’re not going to follow your own advice when you’re the one under fire.”

The agent struck her across the face, the force knocked her back onto her side. The strike irritated her already injured eye. “We’ll see how long that attitude lasts. Now get to signing, don’t make me repeat myself.”

She sat up, trying to ignore the throb in her eyes and the oncoming headache. She placed the pen tip by the tiny ‘x’ at the bottom of the sheet and proceeded to sign her name.

日下部 千夜  
Chiyo Kusakabe

###### 

Sae Niijima kept her head high and her eyes forward. Her bag gently taped against her side with each step she took. Her destination was not that difficult to find, the security guard and one of the police detectives were a dead giveaway. “Excuse me,” the detective said, as Sae approached, “this area is off-”

“I’m Niijima, from the Public Prosecutor's Office,” she introduced quickly and with no-nonsense.”

“The Prosecutor's Office?” the detective asked skeptically. “And what business do you have here?”

“Just let me through; it's urgent. There’s something I need to confirm with the suspect.”

“I believe this case is no longer in your jurisdiction, Niijima-san. Besides…”

“Your Prosecutor Sae Niijima?” they heard. Sae turned to find an older man behind her. Likely a superior in the force. “There’s a call from your director. Hurry in and get it over with. Frankly, you’re being an inconvenience.”

A buzz came from Sae’s pocket, instantly she dug out her phone, pressed the accept button, and held it up to her ear. She didn’t need to see the ID to know who was on the other line. _“I thought I told you to stand by,”_ Director Kodaira with a sigh.

“I’m responsible for this case,” Sae argued,” and yet I’m not even being allowed an interrogation?!”

_“I’m calling because I knew you’d bring it up.”_

“I will not be convinced until I confirm it for myself. This is my case.”

She could almost hear Kodaira throw up his hands in defeat. _“Good luck to you then. I won’t be expecting much, though.”_

Sae ended the call and put her phone back in her jacket pocket. “I forgot to mention something important, Prosecutor,” said the senior detective. “Your time will be cut short. I cannot permit you to speak with her for long. It’s for your own sake. Her methods are unknown. After all, we don’t know if it’s safe to simply meet and speak with her.”

“Understood,” Sae said coldly.

Kusakabe was seated at the metal table, looking worse for wear. Bruised with a shiner forming over her left eye, a small trail of dried blood ran from her nose, her hair was down and disheveled. Her white undershirt had a few brown spots and dirt tracks. The look in Kusakabe’s eyes was unlike anything Sae had known of her. Vacant, wandering; in their few previous meetings, Kusakabe had the eyes of someone determined, but still earnest.

“I didn’t expect it’d be you,” Sae confessed solemnly. Someone Sae herself had had a few conversations with, one of her younger sister’s friends. The last fact, in particular, was something Sae had to force from out of her thoughts. Sae couldn't be utterly sympathetic towards Kusakabe; whatever her intent and reason, Kusakabe was a criminal.

She took a seat across the table from Kusakabe and got two things out of her bag. The folder of everything Sae had gathered on the Phantom Thieves case, and Kusakabe’s Smartphone, confiscated with a few other items; her blazer, her glasses, even a hair tie of all things. Sae saw the logic of it, the Phantom Thieves' methods were still unknown to them, no one was going to take a chance and risk Kusakabe pulling out a trick from up her sleeve. The Smartphone was obvious, but it was believed she could have some sort of tool stored in the thick frames of her glasses, or that she could use her hair tie as a weapon.

That last one seemed a bit like reaching to Sae, but she did agree that they couldn't be too careful with Kusakabe. “But at the same time, in hindsight, I can’t say I’m totally surprised. Regardless, you’ll be answering my questions this time.”

With the case file atop the table, a glint caught Sae’s attention. On the floor was an empty syringe lazily discarded and undisturbed. Suddenly, the look in Kusakabe’s eyes made sense. If she didn’t seem like she was there it was because she wasn’t. “Those bastards,” she muttered under her breath. She waved a hand in front of Kusakabe’s eyes a couple of times. “Can you hear me? I know you’ve been through a lot, but almost anything can happen here. And I can’t stop them. That’s why you need to answer me honestly, and I don’t have much time either. So what was your objective? What pushed you to commit these crimes?”

###### 

“So what was your objective?” Niijima asked. “What pushed you to commit these crimes?”

“What do you even want to know?” Chiyo asked irritably. “Sounds like a pretty clear-cut case to me.”

“It’s not an issue of whether or not it can be used in court,” explained Niijima. “But as this is my cause, I feel I should know the details. And luckily you’re coherent enough to answer. When and where did you find out about that other world? How is it even possible to steal someone’s heart? Tell me your account of everything, starting from the beginning.”

Chiyo brought a hand to her forehead, her fingers entangled in her bangs. From the beginning? Could Chiyo even remember where all this started? It was a struggle just to remember how she ended up in this situation.

Something blue suddenly fluttered across her peripheral vision. It was a vibrant shade of blue and though she couldn’t see clearly she could make out delicate wings. A butterfly? No, a blue luna moth perhaps? _“A prisoner of fate yet again,”_ said a gentle, boyish voice. _“The game has been stacked against you, a future sealed in advance. Your chances of winning are almost none.”_

The moth began to circle the room as the voice continued to speak. _“But as my voice has reached you, it’s not too late to win this game and save the world. The key to victory lies within the memories of your bonds – the truth that you and your friends grasped. Remember when it all began? It was half a year ago now, on that spring day. For the sake of the future of your world as well as your own future you must remember.”_

Finishing its piece, the moth flew off, disappearing before it could fly into the wall.

Slowly, Chiyo nodded. She decided it was best not to force the memories out, but let them come to her as she gave her testimony.

“It started on the ninth of April,” she began at length. “I was on my train to Tokyo…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have a sort of motto while writing this, “Look to P3P.” So because of that, Joker has her own unique appearance, and this will feature a handful of new Confidants replacing other characters. Just a handful, I’m not rewriting _everything_.
> 
> Chiyo’s appearance was modeled after Miyako Hotsuin from _Devil Survivor 2 Record Breaker_. Influenced in part because I came across a few posts on tumblr comparing Hibiki’s design to Akiren’s. Chiyo needing her glasses to see is 110% me being salty that Akiren wears his glasses purely for *~SYMBOLISM~*. As a lifelong four-eyes, I can say I’d like to see more glasses-wearing main characters in mainstream games. Chiyo’s given her own, separate name based off of me seeing P3’s protagonist as Minato Arisato while FemMC is Kotone Shiomi. Two different people who just happened to end up in their situation by chance. (Also, as with her unique appearance, her unique name makes her stand out amongst similar fics.)
> 
> I don’t have any specific reason behind the name Chiyo beyond ‘I really like it and have been wanting to use it in something for ages.’ Her surname, Kusakabe, however, comes from the main character in _Kamikaze Kaitou Jeanne_ , Maron Kusakabe. _Kaitou Jeanne_ was the series that introduced me to the concept of phantom thieves. Her weapon of a gymnastics ribbon, and Chiyo being into rhythmic gymnastics partially comes from _Kaitou Jeanne_. I created Chiyo just before Royal was announced and I couldn’t stop laughing when ‘Sumi was revealed. What were the odds? 
> 
> As a couple of last notes; yes this will include Royal. Yes, I intentionally left out Violet’s scene. I have plans for her. Romance will be a thing. And my eventual goal is to write up scenarios for Chiyo’s other options in a side story...probably when this is done. But there will be a pair that’s “canon”. Big airquotes.
> 
> You can find me on tumblr at **sammiewritesstuff**


	2. Chapter One

**Chapter One  
Rehabilitation**

###### 

**_Saturday, April 9th_ **

###### 

Her head leaned against the window, idly watching the scenery pass by without much thought. At sixteen this was hardly the first time Chiyo traveled the train on her own. It was just the farthest distance on her own. From Higashiizu to Tokyo, a trip that took up a couple of hours.

A couple of hours ago it may have been, but Chiyo’s departure from Higashiizu had replayed itself over and over a few times. And all it did was dreg up a few memories.

Chiyo’s dad couldn’t be bothered to see his only daughter, his true child, off at the train station. Of course, he wouldn't, not when Chiyo was the source of his embarrassment at work. As far as Eiichi was concerned, Chiyo was immediately guilty of whatever she was accused of. The sad part was, Chiyo couldn’t say she was surprised. Eiichi barely cared enough to see her more than a few times a year, at best. Why would he when he had his second wife and a stepson?

And her mom? Well, it didn’t matter what Chiyo did. All that mattered was Coach Matsubara wanting nothing to do with her anymore, no one would even think of training her. She lost her chance to go nationals, therefore she was useless to Ryou.

Chiyo absently tugged at her cardigan sleeve, making sure the bandage around her wrist was well-hidden. She didn’t bother to hide the burn mark on her hand, the skin was starting to look better anyway. And she figured it was easier to explain away the burn mark than a couple of thin smiles on her forearm. A chilly sensation traveled down her arms as she tried to force the thought out.

She tried to think about the ribbon routine that would never be now. It was supposed to be the thing that got her into nationals this year. The theme was Swan Lake, or rather, the seductive black swan. The entire routine was supposed to ‘seduce the judge's panel.’ She was going to show everyone just what she was capable of in this one routine, bold and elegant moves, aloof and mysterious. Then the routine would end with thirty-two straight turns influenced by a similar move in the ballet. It was still a work in progress when she had last seen Matsubara, and everything was dropped after the arrest.

Chiyo realized too late that thinking about the routine was doing little for her mood. She wanted to mourn everything that was lost because of that night. The routine that wouldn’t be now, the dreams unfulfilled, the backs turned on her. Everyone in Higashiizu had something to say about Chiyo as a result of the arrest. But what no one seemed to be talking about was the truth.

When the numbness started to sink in, Chiyo brought a hand to her face to push her glasses into place as a means of distraction. The thick black frames were round enough to cover about half her face. She pushed her bangs back, fingers entangling in the powdery gray locks. Ryou had barely paid any notice when she first saw Chiyo with her dye job and a new haircut. She still wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or not, especially since Chiyo wasn’t supposed to leave the apartment.

Chiyo was a natural brunette and her hair had been waist-length when the year started. A week or so ago, she managed to find a hair salon that would work on her so long as she paid them. Chiyo initially just wanted a hair cut and originally wanted it all cut, but the stylist insisted on just shortening it a bit, now what was originally waist-length went just past Chiyo’s shoulders. The dye work – well it was more like her hair was bleached first, then dyed – was something she decided on last-minute after she asked the stylist if it was possible. It cost more than what Chiyo went in for, but she quickly grew to like the new look. It helped that Chiyo didn’t have a whole lot to spend her money on so she still had last year's New Year’s money along with this year's. The stylist even gave Chiyo a few tips on how to care for her roots as they grew in if she wanted to keep the look.

It was the nicest Chiyo had been treated since that night.

She had taken to styling her hair in a half ponytail, held in place by a blue, lavender, and white tie-dye scarf pony. She was currently dressed for later winter-early spring in long sleeves and a long skirt made from thick warm fabrics, a pair of easy to move in leggings, and a well-worn pair of boots.

“Are you for real? A mental shut down?”

Her pale gray eyes traveled to the opposite end of the car to find a couple of girls around Chiyo’s age dressed in dark blue blazers with a gold star logo by the lapel and matching black skirts.

“But it’s true!”

“To a person though? It’s gotta be a joke.”

With her eyes cast downward, Chiyo slid her hands into her cardigan pockets and tried to focus on the carry on bag weighing down on her shoulder. In theory, the circumstances of her transfer were going to be between Chiyo and the school staff, but she wasn’t an idiot. It was going to get out one way or another.

But she couldn't help but imagine herself having a similar conversation with some featureless girl. A shadowy figure in the vague shape of a person, wearing clothes. It was a fantasy Chiyo had often, long before the arrest. The life she led until that night left very little room for friends.

Through the lawyers, Sakura-san had given Chiyo two addresses she could meet him at. His home address, however, was solely for the off chance that Chiyo happened to arrive in the middle of the night. She was supposed to meet Sakura-san at a coffee shop called ‘Leblanc’ in Yongen-Jaya.

So, as the train prepared to stop Chiyo got her phone out and pulled up the GPS app. When Chiyo got off the train station, she was immediately slapped across the face by the sheer scale of Tokyo. The towering buildings, the number of people, the hustle and bustle of Shibuya alone was enough to invoke a severe case of culture shock.

Chiyo was out of her element, she was going to get herself lost. She was going to end up in terrible situations and her life would be more of a mess than it already was.

A cold chill ran down her spine, bringing her out of her pessimistic thoughts. When she stared down at her phone, Chiyo’s brow twitched as soon as she saw the screen. An app she had never seen before appeared on the screen, even though she already had the GPS open. It was a red icon with black accents creating a shape of an eye with a five-pointed star in the pupil. The app icon suddenly grew, taking up most of the screen. It even appeared to be animated in the red area, giving it a shimmering, watery effect.

She tapped the screen twice if only to get some reaction from the app, but nothing else popped up. A sudden...change in the air caused Chiyo to lift her head.

The voices and sounds around her became lower and lower with each passing second. Like a recording slowing down, deepening until it stopped altogether. Which was just what happened to the hustle around Chiyo. The people around her stood frozen in mid-step or locked in a conversation. It was as though someone had just pressed the pause button on a DVD player.

Chiyo scrutinized her surroundings. Everyone was simply frozen, the people, the massive TV screens, even a man on his bicycle. She was about to start questioning her surroundings when something caught her attention in the middle of a crosswalk. It was a fire, standing tall flickering icy blue. The flames grew tall, soon flickering into a human shape.

The image stayed still for a moment before the fire burst, making the image appear larger and bulkier. A pair of orange slits appeared against the blue flames, with a single, thin crescent line underneath, creating the silhouette of a smiling face.

The longer Chiyo stared into the fire’s face, the more she could make out something distinctly human. Flesh with more defined features in their face, their eyes closed as powdery white hair flew about. Their eyes opened, revealing a set of yellow irises, their lips pulled back into a devilish grin. It was only then that Chiyo realized she was staring at her own, yellow-eyed reflection.

Someone bumped into Chiyo’s shoulder, causing her to break free of her trance. She looked around; like someone had pressed the play button, city life had returned as though nothing happened. No sight of the fire, or the vision held within it.

She looked back down at her phone. The mysterious app was still there, but now a simple app amongst everything else on her phone. Shaking her head, Chiyo tapped on the app and dragged it over to the waste bin. ‘Best not worry about it too much,’ Chiyo told herself. ‘The last few weeks have been stressful. You're just nervous.’

Now the real question was, did Chiyo honestly believe the lie she just fed herself?

###### 

Putting complete trust in the GPS, Chiyo traveled to the backstreets of Yongen-Jaya. It should have been easy for her to feel claustrophobic with the narrow walkway and people traveling with them. But in reality, Chiyo found the crosswalk, surrounded by towering buildings and people to be far worse in that regard.

Leblanc was a rather quaint coffee shop, Chiyo nearly missed it, were it not for the awning with its name printed on it over the door. She stepped inside and was instantly met with the scent of coffee. The store interior was a bit rustic and just as cramped as the rest of Yongen-Jaya. There was a small handful of tables lined against the wall and a bar. Currently, an elderly couple sat at one of the booths watching the news playing on a small TV set in the corner of the room, just outside of the kitchen. Seated at the bar was a middle-aged man with black hair, possibly thinning, it was difficult to tell with the widow's peak. He was dressed in a pink button-down shirt, white slacks rolled up a few inches, and a brown apron around his waist. He wasn’t paying attention to the news, instead engrossed in a crossword puzzle in the newspaper draped over his knee.

_“A public transit bus was driven down an opposing line with its customers still in it!”_ came the news report. _“The citizens can’t live in peace if this keeps up.”_

“How frightening,” the elderly man said through a sigh.

“Didn’t something similar happen just the other day?” his wife asked.

“Vertical is…” the middle-aged man said, seemingly oblivious to the couple's concerns. “The name of a shellfish used for farming pearls…”

“Oyster,” Chiyo said quietly.

The man looked up from his paper to find Chiyo before he placed it on the bar. “They did say that was today, He muttered to himself as he stood up.

The elderly couple looked between themselves before they stood up. The man reached into his pocket and placed something on the table. Chiyo was under the impression that they sensed it was a good time to leave. “We’ll be going no,” said the older man. “Payments on the table.”

The woman gave the store owner a polite farewell as they hobbled out of the shop. The man, whom Chiyo presumed was Sakura-san, muttered something under his breath. Something about four hours and a cup of coffee. Making his piece, Sakura-san looked back at her. “So, you’re Chiyo?”

“Sakura-san?”

If Chiyo had to take a guess she guessed that Sakura-san had to be in his mid-forties, early fifties at the oldest. His black hair was slicked back with a widow’s peak, and he had a bit of facial hair along his jawline. Oddly enough, his wire-frame glasses certainly fit right in with the setting of the coffee shop. “Sojiro Sakura. You’ll be in my custody over the next year.” He paused for a moment to scrutinize Chiyo. “When I first heard about you, I was expecting someone a bit more...unruly.”

Once more, Chiyo had the distinct sense that Sojiro meant something more than just ‘unruly.’ He gestured over his shoulder to the door by the restroom. “Follow me, I’ll show you where you’re staying.”

Was she staying in the broom closet?

What she didn’t realize was that that back room had a stairway that led to an attic. In the upstairs room, there was a bit of junk littered across the floor. A mattress was at the end of the room, by the concrete wall and the windows. There was an old love seat to the left of the room, a work desk loaded with old books. There were old books everywhere amongst the junk. A layer of dust covered just about everything while cobwebs decorated the ceiling. The only thing untouched by time was the cardboard box in front of the love-seat. It was some of Chiyo’s things she had shipped over a few days before she left home. Clothes for days off, a few pieces of gymnastics equipment, her mom’s old laptop she gave her, and some other belongings.

“This is your room,” Sojiro said plainly. “I’ll at least give you a set of sheets for your bed. It’ll be up to you to clean the rest. I’ll be locking up each day after hours. You’ll be alone at night, but don’t anything stupid. I’ll throw you out if you cause any trouble.”

Throughout his piece, Sojiro’s stone-cold tone made it clear that he certainly would follow up on his threats if Chiyo gave him a reason to do so. “I got the gist of your situation,” he continued. “You protected some woman from a man forcing himself on her, he got injured, then sued you. Right?”

Chiyo’s hands grasped the strap of her carry-on bag as forced herself to look down at the floor. “Yes,” she murmured.

“That’s what you get for sticking your nose in a matter between two adults,” said Sojiro. “You did injure him, yeah?”

Chiyo shrugged, a silent manner of answering Sojiro without actually answering him. The man was injured to the point where blood was drawn. But that was more on the man than Chiyo, his breath reeked of alcohol and he had that look in his eye that told her that he wasn’t completely there. In the end, it didn't matter how intoxicated he was in the end. He had some form of power and that was ultimately his word over Chiyo’s. And it was because of that power that there was no winning the case, it didn’t matter what Chiyo’s life was like before then.

Supposedly, the man was willing to ‘put the ordeal past him’ so long as Chiyo ‘learned’ from this experience. And as it was Chiyo’s first offense, she was put on a year’s probation. Her old school expelled her for it and life as she knew it was changed because of it.

“That’s what happens when kids stick their noses in adults' business,” Sojiro said, more to himself than to Chiyo. What came after, however, was most definitely directed at her. “It’s best you not talk about anything unnecessary. I am in the restaurant business, you know.”

Chiyo nodded once.

“You better be taking this seriously, understand? One slip up and you’ll be sent straight to juvie.”

She stopped trying to argue her case as soon as she was released back into Ryou’s custody after the trial. Chiyo tried to give her mom her side of the story, only to be cut off when Ryou whipped around and slapped Chiyo across the face. It was clear right then and there that neither Ryou nor anyone else cared about what really happened. All they cared about was the fact that Chiyo either got herself in this situation in the first place or that Chiyo was what the man claimed. She stopped trying to argue her case, stopped trying to defend herself, and just let the adults make their piece and move on.

“We’ll be going to Shujin tomorrow,” Sojiro went on, “you’ll meet the principal and your homeroom teacher. You’re a week late, but from what I hear you shouldn’t have a problem catching up.”

Why did the adults in her life insist on telling Chiyo everything she already knew? It wasn’t as though she hadn’t already done a little research on the school for herself. Shujin Academy did not hesitate to boast about the Olympic alumni turned PE teacher, nor the accomplishments of the volleyball team he coached.

“What waste of my Sunday,” murmured Sojiro.

_“I don’t know where to begin with just to calculate the yen you’ve ultimately wasted. Hundreds of thousands? And for what?”_

Chiyo couldn’t help the glower that formed on her face. “Sulk all you want,” Sojiro brisked past her, “it won’t change anything.”

“I’m not sulking…” murmured Chiyo. “I’m just-”

But Sojiro had closed the door behind him. A hand slapped over her mouth as she struggled to bite back the sob that put pressure on her throat. Fighting back against tears was always a difficult struggle, the only saving grace was that Sojiro had already left her alone.

It seemed like all Chiyo was capable of was crying these days. What else could she do? No one was willing to hear her out, to let her confide in them.

A part of Chiyo wondered why she didn’t just drop out of school and start working right now. Her dad was barely in her life anymore after the divorce, and especially after he remarried a fellow divorcee with a son around Chiyo’s age. What did he need a daughter for when he finally had the son he transparently wanted?

Her mom disowned her, made that abundantly clear at the train station. She knew it would be futile to think she could earn back their affections by playing by the rules. Playing by the rules up until the arrest got her nowhere afterward, after all. It was best she to push away the fantasies once and for all, the daydreams of getting through her probation and coming home to open arms after Ryou and Eiichi realized the errors of their ways.

What was the point in going through the motions like this? Wouldn’t Chiyo be better off just trying to strike it out on her own? But when she thought about everything required for adulting, she got scared and even more overwhelmed than she already was. No, she wasn't ready to make it on her own, yet.

After she forced herself to calm down, Chiyo removed her glasses and wiped her eyes with the heel of her hands. She placed her lenses back on, then surveyed the room once more. Home for the next year, huh…?

Chiyo searched her carry-on bag for her hairbrush and restyled her hair from a half ponytail into a full pony. As much as Chiyo didn’t necessarily want to, she went downstairs to ask Sojiro if there was any cleaning equipment – a dumb question, it was a _restaurant_ , of course, there was – and if she could use them.

Getting what she needed, Chiyo got to work. She dusted everything off overhead, making her hair look elderly grey. After sweeping up the dust, Chiyo mopped the floor. More than once, when Chiyo was in the zone, she needed to put everything down to move things around. To Chiyo’s surprise, she didn’t find any traces of mice, but she supposed it was a good thing, given the shop downstairs.

When she was satisfied with the floor, Chiyo stored some of the more unneeded stuff out of the ‘living area’ of the room. She made a mental note to remember where she stored the heater before winter came around. While clearing out space she stacked away Sojiro’s books, books on curry recipes, coffee brewing, and surprisingly enough, books on metaphysics and neuroscience. She discovered an older TV set that looked like it was still in working condition, but it would have been nice if she could find a DVD player to go along with it.

When she felt satisfied with her work, Chiyo grabbed a few more items from her carry-on bag, her glasses case with a cleaning cloth, and her contacts. She wasn’t fully sure why she bothered to bring her contacts with her, she hadn’t worn them since the trial. Reaching her hand back inside her bag, she pulled out an old cookie tin that rattled when she moved it. Chiyo pulled the lid off, revealing it filled with yen coins and paper notes. She got her wallet out and dropped a few more coins inside before she closed the lid. A box half-full of protein bars came next. The last of Chiyo’s reserves, they likely would have gathered dust and spoiled if she didn’t bring them with her. The last thing Chiyo dug her hand back into her bag and pulled out a small, red, cigarette lighter. The fingers on Chiyo’s left hand twitched as she took the lighter into her opposite hand. It had originally belonged to one of Ryou’s coworkers and her kind-of-sort-of-lover, who left it behind after staying the night. No one took care of it, so Chiyo claimed it for herself.

With a shaking hand, she placed it on the top shelf beside the head of her bed, put the cookie tin on the middle shelf, then placed her hairbrush and glasses case on the windowsill. It was a bit of a reach if Chiyo was laying down, but there was more than enough room to store her various knickknacks.

She slid her box up to the bed and sat down before breaking into it. The first thing Chiyo found was a photo from one of her last gymnastics meets. She was carrying a thin golden trophy in her hands, standing beside, a middle-aged woman with her dark brown hair in a pixie cut, Coach Matsubara. This was some time before Chiyo dyed her hair, so it was so dark brown it was almost black. It was done up in a tight bun and Chiyo was wearing a tight form-fitting, sequined leotard.

This was supposed to be Chiyo’s year. The year she finally made it to nationals and go all the way to internationals. That went down the toilet after the trial. Matsubara let her go as a pupil and there were likely few meets that would let someone with a criminal record compete.

Who cared if she followed the rules in the past? Who cared if she was the obedient daughter?

A sound, somewhere between staged yelling and hissing, escaped Chiyo’s lips as she hurled the picture across the room. It landed with a shatter amongst Sojiro’s junk. She dropped her head into her hands, panting.

Who cared if she was scared out of her mind? Who cared if she was the one suffering the consequences of someone else's actions? Who cared when Chiyo inconvenienced the adults in her life?

She forced herself to calm down. Lifting her head, Chiyo pushed her glasses back up the bridge of her nose. It was time she got back to work.

To her relief, she to a cylinder shape light in her hands. Cradling it firmly in one hand, Chiyo crawled across the bed to the windowsill. She placed the light roughly in the middle of the half-wall, then decided that it would be too far a reach, and moved around the area she placed her glasses case and hairbrush. With a press of a button, the light inside the cylinder came to life, the outer shell began to rotate, and the room light up with purple and blue stars and crescent moons.

This light was probably Chiyo’s favorite self-indulgent purchase.

With the light on she put her things away in a fashion she could live with. The cardboard box was likely going to end up serving as her dresser and stored out of the way. She placed her gymnastics ribbon, her favorite of her collection, on the shelf beside her bed with the tin box. She dressed the bed in the sheets Sojiro gave her and topped it off with the duvet she brought with her from home.

The sun had set by the time Chiyo deemed the room livable. She was giving the attic one last look through to be sure. She didn’t even hear the creaking from the stairs as someone ascended them. “What the heck?”

Chiyo whipped around to find Sojiro at the head of the stairs, scrutinizing the room. “This...actually isn’t that bad?” He shook his head briefly, readjusting his glasses for a moment. “I’m closing up. Since you’ll be living here, I’d like for you to double-check the door each night. Think you can do that?”

“Yes.”

Sighing, Sojiro crossed his arms over his chest. “Now, I don’t want to get into repeating myself, so listen up. There’s a bathhouse you can use just across the road from here; But, you don’t get back before I close up, you’re stuck outside for the night. You want to waste my time, I’m wasting yours. Got it?”

“Yes,” said Chiyo. She knew it was fair enough, the restaurant business was bad enough without waiting on someone else before you could close up and head home.

Satisfied, Sojiro gave her a brief nod before he went back downstairs. Chiyo followed as a means to double-check as he wanted. She only stood at the foot of the stairs as Sojiro turned off the lights, locked the door on his way out, and turned the sign from ‘OPEN’ to ‘CLOSED.’

As soon as she saw him walk away, Chiyo tore the bathroom door open, tossed the lid open, and crouched onto the floor. Two breath’s in, she started to heave. There were two things she quickly became aware of, the foul taste in her mouth as it all came out, and the putrid smell.

###### 

Chiyo changed into her pajamas, a loose, black long-sleeved shirt with a set of yellow cat eyes and the silhouette of a dancer in each eye serving as the pupil and a pair of dark green flannel pants that were a few sizes too big. After turning off the light, Chiyo cocooned herself in her duvet; it was a navy blue blanket with golden yellow stars and outlines of sunbursts and white crescent moons. With the lights off Chiyo took a few minutes to admire her starry night light in the dark before she removed her glasses. She pulled the blanket as close to her as possible, taking comfort in its familiar embrace. Steadily, the sheer silence was beginning to eat away at her nerves.

She was a small fish dropped into a big pond. She was living with a man neither of her parents ever met face-to-face and it was clear to her that he was begrudgingly taking her in. Should it have surprised Chiyo if it turned out Sojiro was being paid for housing her?

Was it even any use in asking how she got here? She knew exactly how.

She was on her way home from training. It was the last week of January, maybe the first week of February, she couldn’t remember the exact date. She was working out her ribbon routine, trying out various combinations, trying to piece together what would wow the judges the most. It didn’t help that Chiyo hadn’t found the right music. And in hindsight, it likely didn’t help that she’d been neglecting a ball and club routine.

By the time Chiyo was heading home that day, it was already dark out. She was about half-way between her house and the gym when she first heard something.

“Just get in the damn car!”

“Stop it!”

The owner of the second voice sounded on the verge of tears. They did not sound that far from where Chiyo was. As soon as she heard of the frailness of the second voice, she followed the sounds. She could tell, the first voice was masculine and slurred, the second frail and feminine.

It was the lights of the car that Chiyo noticed first. The contrast between light and dark hurt her eyes, but once they adjusted, she saw a woman trying to push a man off her. Beside them, the car door was open, waiting for one or the other to get in.

“Stop it!” the woman sobbed desperately. “I-I’ll call the police!"

“Go ahead,” the man challenged smugly. His smarmy grin was borderline begging the woman to. “The police are my bitches. Think they’re going to care about you?”

As if on cue, a high-pitched whine of sirens echoed in the distance. The man cursed as he peered over his shoulder, his smugness instantly dissipated. “Now look at what you did!” he hissed at the woman. Chiyo’s stomach dropped briefly, afraid the man was about to backhand the woman. “Must’ve made so much noise someone called the fucking cops!”

He grabbed the woman roughly by the upper arm, she cried out and tried to step back as much as she could. “Get in the damn car, fucking stupid bitch!” The man tried to force the woman into the back seat despite her sobs, despite how hard she was trying to fight back against his strong grip. The man’s anger suddenly spiked when he pulled the woman close to him, hissing, “Idiots like you need to keep your fucking traps shut already and just follow where I steer this country!”

Chiyo bit her lower lip, uselessly watching the horrible scene play out. Her hands balled up, damn it, if she were in this woman’s position she knew for a fact that she would want someone’s help. How could she just ignore this?

She half-jogged up to the man and woman, hoping, if nothing else, that as soon as the man saw he was being closely watched, he would back off. The sounds of shifting gravel beneath Chiyo’s feet must have given her away. The man peered over his shoulder to find Chiyo. “What’re you lookin’ at?” he slurred. “Nothing to see here, kid. Beat it!”

But Chiyo stayed rooted in place and fixed her best glare on the man. She hoped she made it clear that she would only leave when he left the woman alone. The man’s eyes met with Chiyo’s, he had that look, too much to drink. When he broke contact with Chiyo, he whirled his attention back at the woman. “See what you did?!” he barked, releasing the woman’s arms. She bent over slightly, hugging herself. “Had to go and get someone else involved, didn’t you?” He grabbed her by an arm again. “Now, you can either get in the car yourself, or I take this brat too!”

The woman hiccuped on a sob, her eyes traveled from Chiyo, then to the ground. The man chuckled to himself as he placed a hand on the woman’s shoulder. “That’s what I thought,” he said smugly.

He ushered the woman into the car. Chiyo’s feet moved before her mind could concoct a proper plan. Her hand reached out for the man.

“Hey!”

At present, Chiyo curled in on herself. She barely touched the man, yet he was so wasted he tripped over himself. He told the police that Chiyo attacked him after he politely refused her any sexual favors. The ‘official’ story was that he politely turned her down, encouraged her to turn her life around, even gave her money out of the goodness of his heart. And Chiyo repaid his generosity by attacking him.

That was the story he created. He convinced the woman to go along with it, and she did. He even put his hands on Chiyo, tugging at her clothes to make it look like she slathered herself all over him.

It didn’t take long for the sexual assault claims to become common knowledge around town. The rumor mill quickly decided that Chiyo either had a history of compensated dating or that she was a full-blown prostitute. As a result, she was labeled the class slut by her ex-classmates. Boys Chiyo never spoke to were sending her messages, asking her if she wanted money upfront or if she would just open her legs to anyone who asked. It didn’t take long for her to get phone calls and IM messages from her schoolmates calling her everything under the sun.

Overhead, by her glasses, her phone started to ping. Little afraid to answer it, Chiyo wiggled out of the blanket and reached for the device. Even with her impaired sight, she couldn’t believe what she was seeing. She needed to put her glasses back on to make sure she was actually _seeing_ it.

It was the red and black app with the eyes amongst her other apps.

Hadn’t Chiyo deleted it?

Too worn out to dwell on it too much, Chiyo slid the app to the recycle bit and put her phone and glasses back in their respective places. She cocooned herself back in her blanket. Her stomach was suddenly doing flips, a sensation that was not unfamiliar to Chiyo in the weeks prior. The stress of her situation had caused Chiyo to throw up at least twice.

A line of tears slipped out of Chiyo’s eyes. Everyone talked as though things would fix themselves after a year’s probation. Chiyo never brought it for a second. Her record was going to follow her no matter what. She was going to be seen as a harlot no matter what. Everything was going to follow her from here on out, no matter what she did before or after.

Her eyes closed after a few minutes of silent weeping. She needed to, at least, _try_ to get a good night’s sleep.

###### 

It was like she had just dozed off, but something told Chiyo to wake up. Her eyes snapped open. The first thing she realized was off, was the sounds. The gentle rattled of metal, the dripping of water from a small sink. Neither of these sounds belonged in the attic. The second thing that struck her as odd was how hard the bed suddenly felt. True, the mattress in the attic was not stuffed with swan feathers, but it was softer than this.

She wasn’t in the attic, but a cramped room. A room that was so... _blue_.

Sitting up, Chiyo immediately felt something weighing down on her wrists. She looked down to see a pair of handcuffs, the style had to be several decades older at minimal with a chain long enough for her to move her arms easily enough. If only it was the handcuffs that were the only thing off about her person. Chiyo was wearing a loose long-sleeved shirt, and a pair of pants, horizontally striped in black and white. A stereotypical prison uniform.

She brought a hand to her forehead, the weight on her wrist evidence instantly. Her breathing and pulse had started to quicken, she wanted to calm down before she felt like she was going to die again. How did she make herself calm down last time she had a panic attack?

Without thinking, Chiyo’s hand raked across her temple. She couldn’t feel the stem of her glasses; her hand went to the bridge of her nose and the fingers did not meet with the frames, but flesh. She scrutinized the room, there was a small sink and even smaller toilet across the room from the cot she sat at. Chiyo could see and she wasn't wearing her glasses.

Where was she?

She heard a playful chuckle. Her head turned, following the sound to find prison bars with thick chains crisscrossing at the center, keeping her inside the room. Pupils contracting, Chiyo launched herself towards the bars. A metallic sound echoed in the room, followed by a pull on Chiyo’s right ankle. She looked down to find a cuff around her ankle, a length of chain littered the floor, leading straight to a weighted ball.

Crying out, Chiyo flicked her leg about as though that alone could make the cuff come off. Her breathing became even more labored, she tried to shake her handcuffs off. She threw her back against the bars to hold herself up. Everything was irrational, everything was done in a false hope that she could somehow free herself.

“Quit your sniveling, Maggot!”

Through the other side of the bars, Chiyo felt something hit against the back of her legs. She whipped around to find a boy of roughly thirteen. He wore a long-sleeved, high collared jacket in a fading blue. Black belts hugged his midsection with his slacks tucked into his knee-high black boots. Atop his head, he wore a blue and black gakuran cap.

His hair was so blond it was almost white, cut neatly and orderly, his right eye was a vibrant shade of yellow. He wore a black… Well, Chiyo wasn’t sure if it was supposed to be an eye patch or a bandage over his left eye that covered about half his face. She ultimately settled on ‘eye patch’ as it had a golden logo of an English ‘V’ stitched between a set of golden laurels. The boy had a whistle slung around his neck and a silvery baton hanging off his belt in a sling and a clipboard in his white-gloved hand.

“You are in the presence of the Master, Maggot! Try showing some dignity!” the boy said projecting his voice across the room. He looked down at his clipboard and flipped through the white sheets briefly. Prisoner P508954TS, Chiyo Kusakabe, has arrived, Sir!”

Chiyo looked straight ahead, beyond the cell. Her cell was just one of several in a circular room. In the center was a desk where a man sat. His nose was long and slightly crooked, his ears pointed and impish. His eyes were wide open with tiny black dots for pupils, and he had a grin that could have split his face. The man had on a black suit and extended a white-gloved hand to Chiyo. Trickster,” he said, his voice deep enough to rearrange Chiyo’s organs. “Welcome to my Velvet Room.”

“What?” uttered Chiyo. Her hands gripped the bars so tight her knuckles turned white. “Where am I?! I wasn’t-”

In one fluid motion, the boy removed his baton from its sling and slammed it against the bar. “Open your ears next time, Maggot!” he demanded. He was still projecting his voice, as though commanding respect. “As we speak the you in reality is currently sleeping like a newborn. When this is over, you will wake up as though this never happened. Got it, Maggot?!”

“Not really,” murmured Chiyo.

Without warning, the boy brought his baton back down against the bars. “‘Not really, _sir_!’”

The man at the center of the room chuckled. “I am delighted to make your acquaintance.” he continued. “This place exists between dream and reality, mind and matter. It is a room that only those who are bound by a ‘contract’ may enter.”

“What…?” Chiyo's gaze fell upon the other cells that circled the room. All of them were open, all of them were empty.

“I am Igor,” the man introduced at long last, “the master of this place. Remember it well.”

“What am I doing here?” asked Chiyo.

“I summoned you here to speak of important matters. It involves your life as well as the life of others.”

“But why like this?!” Collapsing against the bars, Chiyo’s eyes traveled around the room scrutinizing the empty cells around her.

“Yes, this is surprising,” Igor agreed, scrutinizing the room himself. “The state of this room reflects the state of your heart. To think a prison would appear as such. You truly are a ‘prisoner’ of fate.”

Glancing downward, Chiyo’s brow furrowed. Though she would have very much liked to deny every bit of it, wasn’t there a bit of truth to it? No matter what, Chiyo wouldn’t be free of this criminal record, with his reputation. She would always be a criminal, she would always be promiscuous. Despite being free to attend school and do as she wished so long as she didn’t break probation, how was Chiyo any different than a traditional prisoner?

“In the near future,” Igor continued, “there is no mistake that ruin awaits you.”

“Oh, really?” Chiyo asked through half-hysterics. “And here I thought my life was ruined enough as it was.”

Igor chuckled to himself. “I speak of the end of everything.” He began to drum his fingers on his desk. “However, there is a means to oppose such a fate. You must be ‘rehabilitated.’ Rehabilitated towards freedom. That is your only means to avoid ruin.”

“Aren’t I doing that already?” Chiyo shot back. Her heart was pounding in her chest, her nerves made her hyper-aware. If this was a dream, she wanted out of this cell already. “Believe me, I’m being reminded enough to live an honest high school life.”

“That all depends on you. Do you have the resolve to challenge the distortion of the world?”

“Well, I would rather avoid ruin.”

“Then allow me to observe the path of your rehabilitation.”

Like a windup doll, the boy in blue stepped out and turned to face Chiyo. His actions kind of reminded her of a marching drill, fitting with his appearance. “Pardon me for not introducing my attendant.” Igor rested his chin upon the back of his hand. “This young man, Henry, will serve as my warden here.”

Chiyo listed her head slightly, repeating the boy’s name under her breath. Igor had pronounced it as ‘an-ri’ as opposed to the ‘hen-ri’ she heard in the occasional English film or European-set anime.

“Do not expect this to be a walk through the flowers, Maggot,” declared Henry. “As the warden, I must whip you into shape to integrate you back into society. That said, I am sworn to be your collaborator. Provided you remain obedient, Maggot.”

“You will come to understand his role in your rehabilitation at a later time,” explained Igor. Like clockwork, Henry turned his back to Chiyo. “Now then, it seems the night is waning… Take your time to slowly come to understand this place. We will surely meet again. Eventually.”

A low siren wailed, getting louder with each second. Henry peered over his shoulder to face Chiyo. “Time’s up Maggot. Now hurry up and get back to sleep.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope there’s enough of a difference between Chiyo and Akiren so far. And I hope it becomes more apparent in the future. 
> 
> One warden for Chiyo. One of those choices made for the quote-unquote “replay value” of a female route. I do have things planned for Henry that should hopefully set him apart from Caroline and Justine. Though I get the feeling he’s going to end up resembling Caroline personality-wise… I’m going with the French pronunciation of Henry (an-ri), to match how the game pronounces Caroline and Justine. His namesake comes from the character Dr. Henry Clerval, Victor Frankenstein’s closest friend. And Henry’s design is largely modeled after the child forms of the Bloody Twins from _Alice in the Country of Hearts_.


	3. Chapter Two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope everyone staying safe out there. I know working on my fanfiction is the best stress relief, hopefully, this can provide a bit of repose.

**Chapter Two  
Shujin Academy**

###### 

**_Sunday, April 10th_ **

###### 

A blue prison. Rehabilitation. Ruin. Impy men. A boy who thought himself grown-up.

The stress of her situation must have gotten to Chiyo more than she originally thought.

Chiyo woke up that morning without feeling rested, She was instead confused and a little on edge. Some people ran in the morning, some worked off their moods by pacing. Chiyo worked hers off by dancing; so she woke up that morning and spent a bit of time stretching. She traveled the length of the room on the balls of her feet, testing the floor to see if it creaked under her weight.

When nothing creaked, Chiyo contorted her body holding out her right hand as though she had her ribbon. As spacious as this attic was it was still confined for a dancer. More than once, Chiyo needed to bring her routine to a complete halt to back up lest she slammed her leg into the bed, the love seat, or the shelves. As much as Chiyo would have liked to perform a few leaps, she did not dare to while on the second floor. She spent about eight minutes dancing as she could in this room, going over two songs in her head before she decided it best to get dressed.

She was supposed to be meeting her new principal and homeroom teacher today. In theory, the only ones who knew of Chiyo’s circumstances were going to be Chiyo and the school staff, but she wasn’t an idiot, it was going to get out eventually. Someone was going to find her information eventually, everyone would know one way or another. It was downright naive to assume otherwise.

But she hoped, _hoped_ that if she played the well-behaved, shy student, maybe she could salvage the situation.

The Shujin Academy uniform consisted of a white turtleneck undershirt and a black blazer with the school’s logo on the breast pocket. A black and red plaid skirt hovered over the black tights she wore. _So much black…_

She tied her hair up in a half-ponytail with her tie-dye scrunchie scarf. It was a look that was rapidly growing on her. It was only then that Chiyo realized she may have been a little too impulsive when she colored her hair. What shy, well-behaved student colored their hair like this?

“Hey, I’m waiting on you!” Sojiro called.

“I’m coming!”

She slipped her feet into a pair of dark brown boots that came with the uniform, tall enough that they came up a few inches above the ankle. As soon as they were on, Chiyo hurried downstairs to find Sojiro waiting at the bar. He had on a white blazer over his pink shirt, and a matching trilby hat sat on the surface of the counter.

When Sojiro spotted Chiyo, he released a sigh and put on the trilby. “Come on,” he said through another beleaguered sight. “The sooner we get there, the sooner we can get back.”

She thought the trilby was probably overdoing it.

Sojiro led her to a house a few minutes walk from Leblanc where there was a small garage with a yellow Porsche inside. Chiyo’s brow rose as soon as she saw the car, she didn’t really peg Sojiro as the type to have a license. They were on the road a few minutes later, Chiyo keeping her arms crossed defensively over her chest after she buckled in. “The school you’re attending is in the Aoyama district,” he explained when they were on the road proper. “It’ll cost you a bit to ride the train there, and the route transfers are a pain in the ass.”

“How hard is it to get lost?” Chiyo asked, voicing one of her anxieties about transferring. It wasn’t exactly difficult to get lost on her way to school back in Higashiizu, she went to the only public high school.

“You know how to read maps, don’t you?”

“Yeah…”

“There you go. It shouldn’t be that difficult to find a route map and figure it out from there.”

_‘That wasn’t very comforting…’_ thought Chiyo.

Chiyo wasn’t sure how long they were on the road before they passed a white building with a sign reading ‘Shujin Academy’ plastered outside. There were three stories, the white stone made it look like a fortress. Or a prison. A chill ran down her spine at the thought.

“Do me a favor and behave yourself all right?” Sojiro asked as they got out of the car. He left his trilby in the driver’s seat. Thank goodness. “Don’t get me wrong – I don’t care what happens to you. Just don’t cause me any trouble.”

His comment brought upon a tight sensation in her chest. She told herself it was fine. They weren’t anything to each other, they just met yesterday. Chiyo really shouldn’t be surprised if it turned out Sojiro got some sort of compensation for housing her.

They didn’t speak again as they headed up the front stairs. By the door, a woman was waiting for them; she looked a few years younger than Sojiro. Her face was long and sleepy. Her wavy, dark-brown hair was cut just above her shoulders; she had on a yellow shirt and a long denim skirt. “Sakura-san,” the woman said in greeting. Her gaze locked upon Chiyo. “And you must be Chiyo Kusakabe.”

“Yep,” Sojiro answered bluntly.

“I can show you to Principal Kobayakawa, Sakura-san,” the woman explained, “but I’ll need to borrow Kusakabe to prepare her student ID card.”

They dropped Sojiro off at the principal's office, and the woman lead Chiyo to an empty faculty office. There was a camera aimed at a wall where a light blue cut of fabric had been pinned. Chiyo put on her best neutral face as the woman snapped a few pictures, and stood silently to the side while the woman sat in front of a laptop, putting Chiyo’s ID card together.

Chiyo didn’t particularly _feel_ anything at the moment. ‘At the moment’ being the keyword. There was a difference between being in a largely empty school on a Sunday versus being in a school that was full of students. This woman and the principal may as well be on par with Sojiro right now. Another adult who already made up their mind about her.

The students… well, Chiyo intended to have a bland year. To keep a low profile and only speak when spoken to. But that didn’t stop the fantasy of one of her classmates approaching her, hitting it off with her and Chiyo could have friends again. These fantasies didn’t last must longer after that instant connection. Reality always set in by Chiyo’s expectations. News of the arrest and the allegations against her would get out. It wasn’t a matter of _if_ , it was a matter of _when_.

“All right,” the woman said standing up with a small rectangle of plastic in her hands. “We’re all set here. I’m sure Sakura-san’s nearly finished with the paperwork by now.”

Chiyo nodded briefly, silently following behind the woman as they walked back to the principal’s office. Principal Kobayakawa was a large middle-aged man with a clean-shaven head. Chiyo couldn’t describe him as ‘portly,’ not with the tawny suit he was wearing. He looked like a potato with that thing on.

Sojiro was leaned over Kobayakawa’s desk with a pen in hand and a packet of paper in front of him. “To reiterate,” Kobayakawa said eyeing Chiyo as the woman got out a small booklet, “you will be immediately expelled if you cause any problems. Honestly, I hesitated on accepting someone like you.” He paused for a moment to scrutinize Chiyo up and down. “But there were some circumstances on your side. You might have done a variety of… unsavory things in hiding in your hometown, but you will behave yourself here.”

Chiyo simply nodded and tried to keep her lips from quivering despite the pressure in her throat. Did he have to put it like that?

“If you are thrown out of our school, there will be no place for you to go. You’d better keep that in mind.” Kobayakawa gestured to the woman. “This will be your homeroom teacher.”

“I’m Sadayo Kawakami.” She held out the booklet and the ID card. “This is your student ID and the student handbook.”

Silently, Chiyo took her wallet out from her pocket and slid her new ID inside. “Be sure to read the school rules,” continued Kawakami. “Any violations will send you straight to the guidance office. And, if by any chance you cause problems, I won’t be able to protect you at all.” She eyed the principal. “That _is_ your promise, yes, Principal Kobayakawa.”

Kobayakawa sat back in his seat. “She’s the one responsible for her own actions.”

“But really though, why me? Surely there were better candidates.”

“It was a sudden transfer. And your class was the only one that had an opening.”

Sojiro and Chiyo exchanged questioning looks as Kawakami and Kobayakawa went back and forth. Was this a usual occurrence with these sorts of meetings amongst the staff at this school? Seemed a little less than professional in Chiyo’s opinion. Sojiro seemed to agree as he cleared his throat after breaking eye contact with Chiyo.

“I’m sorry about that,” Kawakami muttered under her breath. “Later this year, in September, will be the class trip for the second years. As of right now, Kusakabe-san, you are not permitted to go. But we _may_ rescind this if you can earn the right with good behavior and keeping up with your schoolwork. That means getting decent marks on your exams, attending school, and attending the mandatory school events between now and September. And if we permit you to go, we expect this to keep up after the trip. Understand?”

Slowly, Chiyo nodded. A part of her was a little surprised to find that she didn't care if she was allowed on the school trip or not. What good were school trips in general if she didn’t have any friends to experience them with? “If you’re done explaining things,” Sojiro said tentatively, “mind if we get going? I have a store to get back to.”

Kobayakawa leaned forward in his seat and steepled his fingers. “Do keep a close eye on her, Sakura-san. Don’t let her cause any trouble outside of class…”

“I’ll be sure to have a serious talk about the situation she’s in.”

Like Chiyo couldn’t figure it out for herself. Like she wasn’t living with the reality day in and day out. It wasn’t that hard to understand.

She imagined her brow gave away her bitter mood as she followed Sojiro out to the school courtyard. “Everyone’s giving you the cold shoulder,” Sojiro muttered, thinking out loud. “That’s what you get for having a criminal record.” He half-turned towards Chiyo with a hand at his waist. “Turns out your past follows you wherever you go. Keep that in mind, all right? I won’t hesitate to kick you out if you get yourself expelled.”

“Got it,” Chiyo said forcefully. For god’s sake, she wasn’t an idiot. Why was it so impossible for the adults in Chiyo’s life to believe she wasn’t stupid? That she didn’t need these constant reminders? It wasn’t as though Chiyo didn’t already have a strategy for tackling her new school. She was going to make herself invisible. Make herself into a student overlooked by her classmates. If they just left each other alone, she could coast on by until March.

“I could save us all a little time and just kick you out now if that’s gonna be your attitude,” Sojiro shot back. Instantly, Chiyo felt a bit of heat in her cheek. So even when she held back every bitter, hateful thought she was still getting scolded. She truly was in a no-win situation. Sighing, Sojiro rubbed the back of his neck “Come on, we’re going home.”

###### 

They said that appearances could be deceiving, but Kusakabe was nothing like what Kawakami was expecting. When she heard about the girl’s record and the circumstances surrounding it, Kawakami was expecting more of a typical delinquent. An altered uniform, colored nails, heavy makeup, the works. Even someone who was trying to advertise her sex appeal, Kawakami was expecting something like that. At most, Kusakabe dyed her hair, yet she still wore her uniform as it was supposed to be worn. If she had any sort of makeup on it was so minor that it was unnoticeable.

No, Kusakabe looked nothing like a delinquent or a sex worker. She looked more like a student that could be found working in the school library after class.

But what if it was all an act for today because Sakura-san was there? What if she came into school tomorrow and that library girl went straight out the window?

Or what if Kawakami was reading a little too much into this?

“What a troublesome situation.”

Kawakami looked up to find Kamoshida crossing her path. She didn’t need to ask what he was talking about. The entirety of the second-year teachers and some general staff knew about Kusakabe. And it was supposed to stay like that, in theory. “I just can't believe they pushed someone like her on me,” Kawakami muttered pitifully. “Surely a male teacher would be better suited for this…”

“If it was just the assault charges, they probably would have,” Kamoshida agreed. “But given how promiscuous we were told she is, they probably wanted to give her a stable role model. Someone to show her how a lady _should_ behave.”

Kawakami pursed her lips to the side but refused to say what came to mind. If that were true then there was a slight bit of irony to it all. “Still,” Kamoshida sighed, lowering his head. “Why in the world was someone like _that_ even admitted here?”

“Who knows? It was Kobayakawa’s decision. I heard it was for the school’s reputation. Being the school to take in a student with a criminal record and a past like that and helping them turn their life around does sound pretty impressive.”

Of course, all of that was assuming Kusakabe did not have a mind of her own. Kawakami wasn’t sure if the girl was the type to go against the rules or conform to them. Her record and appearance contradicted each other.

“I would have thought that my volleyball team has contributed more than enough to cover the school’s reputation. And that’s ignoring those prodigy twins starting this year.”

“That's certainly true…” Though Kawakami couldn’t help the urge to rub the back of her neck uncomfortably. They didn’t actually have the twins anymore _per se_ , just the surviving sister.

“Just be careful, okay.” Kamoshida stretched his right arm, holding it in place with the left. “Then again, if anything were to happen, I’d kick out a student like that in a heartbeat.”

“I just keep wishing that she’d just end up not coming to school,” Kawakami confessed guiltily. What sort of teacher was she if she said something like that? “But I could be overreacting. Kusakabe didn’t look the part her record paints her as.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, she presented herself as someone who liked being at school. But I can't tell if it's an act or not.”

Interesting… “Well, I should be returning to practice,” said Kamoshida.

“Oh, right. The tournament’s coming up, isn’t it?”

“Having such high expectations placed on you by others is quite a problem in itself. We’ll have to work hard to make up for the track team too.”

Kawakami nodded briefly. As Kamoshida walked off she brought her hand to the bridge of her nose.

Why _her_ class?

###### 

Chiyo nestled herself in the corner of her seat, her arms crossed over her chest and legs crossed at the ankles. Almost immediately after they got back on the road they found themselves in the middle of a traffic jam. A few minutes after that, it started to rain, the sound beating rhythmically against the roof of the car.

At her side Sojiro drummed his fingers on the steering wheel impatiently, they barely moved more than a few meters in thirty minutes. Irritated, he flipped on the radio. “You’re taking the train, starting tomorrow,” he snapped bitterly. Chiyo simply nodded in response. Wasn’t that always the idea? “So… how was it? The school, I mean. Think you can manage?”

“I guess…” she murmured.

“Don’t even think of doing anything stupid. You were already expelled once.” The older man leaned back in his seat, sighing. “To think you’d managed to re-enroll into a different school…”

“They just want the bragging rights that come with reforming a problem student,” Chiyo muttered.

“Yeah, I guess that’s true… It’s not like anyone there will be sympathetic with you. If that’s what it was like at school, people might say stuff about me in the future too… What a troublesome kid I’ve taken in…”

Chiyo’s hands gripped her arms tighter and tighter with each word Sojiro spoke. Could this man really not go five minutes without complaining that this situation was troublesome for _him_? God, if Chiyo wasn’t getting sick of people making _her_ problems about them. “So why did you take me if I’m such an inconvenience, then?” she snapped bitterly, her frustrations finally reaching a boiling point. “You _clearly_ don’t want any part of this.”

“I was asked to do it, okay?” Sojiro shot back, giving her a look of warning. “And I just… _happened_ to agree to it. I’ve already been paid for it too, after all.”

_‘Called it,’_ Chiyo thought bitterly.

_“Again, a subway has derailed at Shibuya Station,”_ said the newscaster on the radio, _“greatly affecting the timetable all across the-”_

“Another accident?” Sojiro asked in disbelief. “So that’s why it’s so crowded.”

Chiyo lowered her arms and stared at the radio. “Wasn’t there a news report on something similar yesterday? Are these common in the city?” she asked. Should she be worried about her safety while traveling the train?

“Not… usually. Though that really does feel like the case lately.” Sojiro kept his eyes forward, absently tilting the brim of his trilby down, casting a shadow over his eyes. “They were saying on the news this morning that one of the children in yesterday’s accident was declared braindead and his family pulled the plug. How do you make a choice like that?”

Chiyo’s eyes traveled to the side, refusing to meet with Sojiro. The conversation suddenly took a turn at a breakneck pace and she did not know what to say. It did not help at all that Sojiro looked like he was in his own somber world. “There was another sad case just last month. A traffic accident… If I remember right, the girl that passed away was barely fifteen. Her parents have gotta be just…”

_“…All traffic around Shibuya Station is being redirected due to the accident, so drivers should expect jam-packed streets.”_

Chiyo’s shoulders dropped, her head fell back against the headrest. “Oh, come on!” moaned Sojiro.

###### 

The screen replayed the security footage from the train accident, just one of many that had conspired within the last couple of years. The official story was that the train had been going so fast, it ended up derailing at the station. The newscaster replaced the security footage before it could show anything overly gruesome.

_“According to the police, the engineer’s life was not in danger despite his injuries. After questioning, even he could not explain his high speed when approaching the station. No further comments were made. Police are still looking for a plausible motive. It’s less of an operating accident and more of a crime of the company and the government…”_

Souji Kodaira, director of the Special Investigations Unit, sat at his desk, his hands folded atop each other and held in front of his face as he watched the report. He was an older man, his hair having long lost its luster and his hairline had long started to recede. At length, Kodaira leaned back in his chair and readjusted his glasses. “Site inspector apparently reported all of this six months ago,” he told the younger woman before his desk, “the deterioration of the tracks and ATC. Seems the railway company and the Ministry of Transportation both turned a blind eye to the truth. There’s no way they can hide this, we’ll go all the way to the top.”

Sae Niijima, a young woman in her mid-twenties, watched the news report as her boss spoke. She styled her long, ashen hair asymmetrically, parted on the right. Dressed in a black pants suit and matching turtleneck she gave off a mature air of a tough as nails beauty.

“‘Everything’s linked,’ that’s what you’re thinking, correct?” Kodaira asked, giving Niijima a knowing look. He lowered his arms flat against the surface of his desk, still keeping his hands together. “Are you free tonight? You and I haven’t gone for a drink in a while.”

The woman blinked once, then tore her gaze away from the TV screen. “Thank you, sir, but I have another meeting to attend to.” She dipped briefly, giving Kodaira a respectful bow. “I must be going, sir.”

Outside of Kodaira’s office, Niijima led herself down a grand staircase where she was met with a young man of about seventeen. He let his hair grow out since Niijima first met him and he had the exact kind of face that left many a teenaged girl swooning in his wake. The boy was checking the inbox on his phone when he heard Niijima approaching. “Did you ask to see me?” he asked politely. “Is it about a case?”

“Not quite,” Niijima said curtly, barely paying the boy any attention as she walked by. “I want your opinion on something.”

“Sure.” The young man followed behind at a respectable distance. “Your judgment is quite often correct, though.” He paused momentarily. “Can we discuss this over sushi, perhaps? You’re making a student work late, after all.”

“Conveyor belt only,” Niijima said without looking at him.

The boy’s shoulders dropped, betraying the mature image he presented himself as. “Aw…”

###### 

Chiyo held her hands under the running water of the showerhead after she turned it on. She inched her stool closer to the water and stuck her head under first. Sojiro and Chiyo did not make it back to Leblanc until early evening fell. Which only exacerbated Sojiro’s previous grievances. “Wasted Sunday,” she heard him mutter. He dropped his trilby onto the bar and rounded it into the kitchen. “Day’s profit down the drain. If you need to use the bathhouse, better do it now, I’m waiting on you.”

Obediently, Chiyo rushed upstairs and trampled back down a few moments later with her brush, towel, and wallet.

There were two older, granny-type ladies already in the bath by the time Chiyo walked in. One had her hair cut boyishly short, and the other kept her long hair in a high bun. “- for her hip,” gossiped the lady with short hair. “Poor dear’s foot caught on the rug and she took a fall.”

“Himari is too unobservant,” said the lady with the bun. “If she wore glasses, she’d tear her room apart when they go missing and overlook the fact that they’re right there on her face.”

Half-aware of what the ladies were saying, Chiyo brought one of the soap bottles uncomfortably close to her face. Body wash. She did the same thing to the other bottle to find the shampoo and soon began to lather her hair. She rinsed her hair, washed her body. When finished, she towel-dried her hair and pulled it back into a messy, damp bun with a plain elastic band.

She put her towel away on a hook within arm's length from the bath and lowered herself into the water seated on the opposite end, away from the grannies. The water was hot enough that Chiyo fully expected to come out as red as a lobster. She had never been to a bathhouse before, the apartment she lived in with Ryou had a bath, but it wasn’t quite the same. At least in the apartment, Chiyo didn’t have to concern herself with trying to make out the numbers on the lockers without her glasses on. Maybe she should wear her contacts at the bathhouse…

“Oh, hello, dear,” greeted the lady with the bun. “I don’t believe I’ve seen you around here before.”

Chiyo could have sunk lower into the water. Why did they have to notice her? “I, uh,” she murmured, avoiding eye contact with either of the ladies. “I just moved to Yongen…”

It wasn’t not, _not_ true, just a bit more complicated than that. It was odd to think about, especially since Chiyo would only be here for a year. And then… And then…

She couldn’t go back to Higashiizu, she was the town pariah for one. They’d find her number again, the calls would start flooding in again. Ryou wanted nothing to do with her, she was on her own when the year was up. Would Chiyo be able to get a full-time job? An apartment? Would she have to live on the streets? Live up to her reputation to get by?

If that was her fate what was she even _doing_ here?! What was she doing playing along with this dog and pony show? The sooner Chiyo got started, the better, right? How much for an apartment? If she got started now she could probably find a job without her past being looked into. Could she pass off as a college student?

How hard could it be? Chiyo heard about high school kids dropping out around her age and living a life all the time. Maybe not the best, but it was a life. She’d need an apartment, a refrigerator, a grocery budget, a phone budget, heating, lighting…

“Are you alright, dear?” the short-haired lady asked. “Don’t stay in too long if you’re feeling light-headed.”

Chiyo blinked, finally aware of her heart racing as though she had just ran a marathon and her short breaths. It almost happened again. Those horrible moments that left Chiyo gasping for breath, half-convinced she was going to die. The bathhouse… what a terrible place for that to happen. The steam likely would have made it worse and if she lost consciousness would she sink into the water and drown?

“I-I’m fine,” she murmured, scooting herself back.

_Liar._

Did it count as a lie if she knew no one wanted to hear the truth? To tell someone she was fine when she wasn’t? It was a lie by omission for sure. But what good was the truth if no one wanted to hear it? It was easier for her to ignore what Ryou said to her when she left. To pretend if she had the blandest school year, everything would work itself out, and life would go on as usual. It was easier to push all of that out of her thoughts.

The ladies got out moments after Chiyo had. Holding her towel up with one hand, she found the locker where her things were stored. She put her glasses on first and didn’t bother to put her blazer back on. Her hair was still a bit damp, but Chiyo didn’t bother to dry it any further. She tied the generic hair tie around the handle of her brush and placed her scrunchie on her wrist. The scarf tied around it hung down like a ribbon around her wrist.

When she returned to Leblanc, Sojiro was seated at the bar with a cigarette in his hand. As she brisked past him for the stairs, she caught sight of him putting it out in the ashtray. Upstairs, Chiyo put away her towel and hairbrush, put away her blazer, and was getting ready to pull out her black shirt with the yellow cat eyes, when she heard Sojiro ascending the stairs. She turned to find him with a leather-bound book in his hand. “You may be under probation, but there are no special limitations on what you do in particular. Besides following the law, that is,” Sojiro said, placing the book down on the table closest to the stairs. “That said, I’m obligated to report on you, which is why I’m having you record your daily activities.”

A muffled jingle was soon heard. Sojiro turned his back to Chiyo and took his phone out from his pocket. “Hey, what’s up? … I’m about to leave right now. Don’t worry. I’ll be there in no time. … Uh-huh. I’ll see you soon.” He ended his call and turned back his attention to Chiyo. “I’ll lock up the place, so do whatever you want for the rest of the night. So long as you don’t mess up my store. If something goes missing, I’ll hand you right over to the cops.”

“Mm-hmm.”

“You got school tomorrow, so you should be heading to bed anyway.”

Without another word, Sojiro marched downstairs. Chiyo raised a brow; wasn’t he even going to watch her write anything in the diary? So she could do whatever she wanted after school, lie about it in the diary, and he would just accept it?

“Missed a big gaping hole in that little plan,” murmured Chiyo.

When she heard the bell downstairs ring as Sojiro left, Chiyo started to change into her pajamas. She got out a protein bar, raisin almond, and ate it in near-dead silence. Chances were Chiyo was going to have to try and get a part-time job sooner or later. In all likelihood she couldn’t count on Sojiro to cover her expenses, her meals, clothes, her lady items – granted with that last one, Chiyo would rather handle it herself.

When she finished, Chiyo tossed away the wrapper, turned on her star projector, and turned off the attic light. She laid down on the bed, her head at the foot and her feet at the head. Her arms crossed under her head as the multi-colored stars traveled around the room.

In her mind's eye, she imagined herself floating in space, somehow inherently able to breathe and not explode in the vacuum of space. She imagined her hair floating about her in tendrils, as gentle as though she were in water as opposed to zero gravity. A calming sensation soon fell upon her, as it always did when Chiyo conjured this fantasy. Ever since she was a child, when her parent's marriage was on its last leg, it was the only thing she could do to block out the arguing while she was trying to sleep.

In space, no one could hear her scream. Amongst the stars and galaxies, everything that happened on Earth was insignificant in the grand scheme of things. Nothing but Chiyo and the thousands of lights around her, the serenity of it all.

Chiyo opened her eyes to see purple stars above her. Sitting up, she turned off the star projector and crawled to the opposite side of the bed. She dug out her phone, aiming to look up the best route to school on the GPS. As soon as she turned the screen towards her, there it was. The same red and black app. It was even right at the same place it was when she found it last night and yesterday afternoon.

“Seriously?” Chiyo asked in disbelief. “Don’t tell me it has a virus...”

It shouldn’t, the thing was brand new, an attempt to go to Tokyo without the worry of anyone back home harassing her.

Letting out a ‘tsk’ Chiyo dragged the app back to the recycle bin. She was going to have to reboot the thing, wasn’t she?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I always got the feeling Sojiro was projecting a little bit when he brought up the Yoshizawa accident. The sisters are about the same age as Futaba and the method of death was not unlike Wakaba’s.
> 
> I gave the SUI Director a name for the sake of convenience. Souji was just a name picked at random, I doubt I’ll be using it very much. Kodaria, however, comes from Yashio Kodaria, a soldier turned rapist and serial killer from 1932 to 1946.


	4. Chapter Three

**Chapter Three  
Rage Awakened**

###### 

**_Monday, April 11th_ **

###### 

Chiyo woke up with enough time to do a set of stretches before she got ready for school. Her calf rested against the edge of the bed while she did a split on the floor. She felt a satisfying pop in her hips and shoulders as she moved out of the split. After the splits, Chiyo eased herself into an elbow stand, her forearms flat on the floor, holding her up as her back and lower body curved over her head. Maybe she should get a yoga mat when she stretched like this, it had to be more comfortable with than without.

After stretching, she got dressed; Chiyo double-checked the contents of her bag and made sure there wasn't a wrinkle in her blazer or her skirt. She did her hair up in her half-ponytail again, she was getting better at tying her scrunchie in despite the knot and scarf tails. Satisfied Chiyo headed downstairs, though Sojiro arrived a while ago he hadn’t quite opened the store just yet. “So, you decided to go to school after all,” Sojiro said, standing behind the counter.

What did she ever do to suggest she wouldn’t go? How on earth did she imply she planned on skipping out? Was it really too much to ask for a vote of confidence?

“Here.” Sojiro slid a plate of curry and a fork across the bar table. “Just this once unless you plan on paying next time. Just make sure you’re finished before the customers start coming in.”

Chiyo shifted back slightly, both taken aback by Sojiro’s sudden gesture of goodwill. But also because she was dumbfounded by the mere existence of curry. The diet Ryou and Matsubara had Chiyo on was strict. One that would give her the necessary nutrition and also make up everything she burned away while training, preventing her from gaining unneeded weight. Leaner meats, fatty bits of chicken cut off, whole grain bread, nuts, fruits, and protein bars for lunch at school.

Sojiro may have unknowingly added something Chiyo couldn’t have on her diet…

But it didn’t matter anymore…

It didn’t matter anymore. Her days as a gymnast were done. Her diet was completely moot now. It hit her all at once; her gymnastics career really was over. What coach in their right mind would take her after she was charged with assault, never mind the other stuff. Chiyo didn’t have to stick with her diet anymore if she didn’t want to. What did it matter if she gained weight anymore?

It was a bittersweet realization. It was like saying good-bye to an old friend for the last time. And another thought, Chiyo forced out of her head.

“Thank you.” She slid herself onto the barstool, her bag leaning against the back of the bar. She didn’t see Sojiro sliding a glass of milk up to her, but it was there when Chiyo took her first bite. Too late did Chiyo realize that curry could be spicy, and her palate was fairly bland. By the time Chiyo cleared her plate her mouth was set ablaze. Being timely, however, Chiyo ended up chugging down the milk over savoring it. “Thank you for the meal.”

Sojiro’s brow furrowed slightly, likely taken aback by the polite angle Chiyo was going for after two days of relative silence. He waved it off. “Hurry up and get going. If you get lost at this rate, you’ll end up running late. Flip the sign for me on your way out.”

“Sure.”

Obediently, Chiyo grabbed her bag, laced it over her shoulder, and headed for the door. Once outside, she flipped the sign to ‘OPEN’ as was asked over. When she turned around, she was met with dark grey clouds overhead, blanketing the area with promises of rain. Dread began to fill Chiyo’s stomach; hopefully, she could make her way through to Shujin without getting caught in the rain.

She found her way to the subway easily enough, recognizing a few landmarks from her journey to Yongen-Jaya the other day. Her first train though was so cramped she couldn't find a seat. All Chiyo could do was find a spot to stand in, hug her bag to her chest, and try to make herself as small as possible.

At Shibuya station, Chiyo checked her phone several times to find her way to the Ginza Line. When she successfully found the line, she was met with another cramped car. Getting off at Aoyama-Itchome, Chiyo found her way out of the station easily enough. But soon found that it started raining some time ago. She cursed under her breath, “Great.”

She used her bag as cover as she half-jogged down the street. Only a few steps and already Chiyo's boots became a darker shade of brown from the water. Chiyo didn’t think they were soaking through, the booklet Kawakami gave her said that the boots should also suffice for the winter on the chance of snow. At least her boots were tall enough that she didn’t get wet ankles.

“Did you hear?” a gossipy student in a uniform matching Chiyo’s whispered to her friend as she jogged by. “There was another one of those accidents just this morning.”

“This is getting scary,” her friend whimpered, “it’s getting harder for me to get on the subway without worrying something like that could happen to me…”

“I know, right!”

_‘Another accident?’_ Chiyo pondered to herself. Didn’t something just happen yesterday? And the day before that?

Like every other unpleasant thought she had, Chiyo pushed it out of her thought. Don’t think about subway accidents. Don’t think about how she could be on one of those ill-fated trains on her way to school. She needed to find a bit of shelter and double-check her GPS before she went any further. So, Chiyo half-jogged straight to the first bit of shelter she could find, under an awning by a window display, and brought her phone out. When she got to the main screen, she nearly dropped her phone in surprise.

That damn red and black app icon was back.

This was getting ridiculous! Chiyo was positive she deleted the stupid thing. Twice! It was a brand new phone, it shouldn’t have a virus already!

She lightly tapped the screen, ready to drag the app to the recycle bin, again, when the app suddenly enlarged, taking up half the screen.

_The hell?_

She swiped at the screen, trying to get the logo to move, but it remained firmly in place. As Chiyo began to contemplate what to do next, she noticed someone walk up next to her, having the same idea of taking shelter from the rain. The girl wore a white hoodie under a Shujin blazer. She lowered the hood as soon as she was under the awning, revealing wavy, sandy blonde hair done up in a couple of thick pigtails. With her hair being the color it was and her eyes being blue, Chiyo was initially willing to believe the girl was an exchange student, maybe from Europe or America. But after looking a moment longer, she could see a few distinct Japanese features in her face, the shape of her jaw, the slope of her nose.

Chiyo was only vaguely aware that her mouth was slightly opened as the girl looked up at the sky, the rain showed no sign of letting up anytime soon. Thunderstruck, Chiyo found herself unable to look away from the blonde girl. She was nothing short of beautiful, she was a little taller than Chiyo and… and…

And there was _no way_ she was wearing her uniform like that and not being lectured over it.

Were it not for the blazer, Chiyo wouldn’t have been able to tell if she went to Shujin at all. She could barely see the plaid pleated skirt from under her hoodie, it was that long on her. The girl was also wearing a pair of bold red tights. Chiyo had the inkling that those weren’t part of the uniform.

The girl’s gaze turned to the right, in Chiyo’s direction. Instantly, Chiyo looked away. With her face flushed, she wrapped her free hand around the strap of her bag and looked down at the boots on her feet. _‘Stupid, stupid, stupid!’_ Chiyo mentally berated.

Soon after, Chiyo heard a car slowly pull up to the pair. She looked up just as the white car came to a complete stop. The passenger window rolled down, revealing a middle-aged man in a blue tracksuit. He had a square jawline and black wavy hair.

A tracksuit… Well, if that wasn’t a tell-all sign of a PE teacher…

“Good morning,” the man greeted, sounding friendly enough, “you want me to give you a ride to school?”

The blonde girl hesitated to answer. And when she did, she sounded a little sheepish. “Sure. Thank you.”

The man turned his attention to Chiyo as the blonde girl slipped into the passenger seat. “You need a lift too?” he asked her. “There’s enough room in the back.

As tempting as it was, Chiyo always thought she had a better time committing a route to memory when she experienced it for herself. So, she should probably just brave out the rain and make the journey on foot to and from Shujin for the next few days. “N-no thank you,” Chiyo said with the best sunny smile she could manage.

Her voice sounded so alien to her when she spoke. Meek and airy, but somehow still whimsical. But it was perfect for the invisible girl she was trying to present herself as. It made her sound shy and meek, someone easy to overlook.

The man in the car shrugged one shoulder as the blonde girl closed the car door. As the girl buckled herself in, Chiyo noticed a peculiar look in the girl’s eye. Dull, lifeless, unhappy, a look Chiyo was acquainted with after seeing it on herself so many times in the mirror.

The car took off before Chiyo could even contemplate what brought that look upon the girl.

A sudden shout caused Chiyo to jump out of her skin. Her blood ran ice cold and her heart was in her ears as a boy ran into her line of sight, just as the car picked up speed. The boy paused, bend over slightly trying to catch his breath. “Damnit!” he cursed upon straightening himself up. “Screw that pervy teacher…”

“‘Pervy teacher?’” Chiyo repeated in a hushed tone, unaware of the app reacting on her phone.

The boy whirled around to find Chiyo staring at him. His hair was cut short, giving it a spiky, unkempt look. He was blond, but likely bleached blond, judging from his dark eyebrows. He had on the Shujin Academy uniform and plaid trousers. But instead of the turtleneck, he wore a yellow t-shirt with a colorful decal on the chest. His trousers were rolled up several times and the suspenders hung free at his sides. “What do you want?” he demanded harshly. “You plannin’ on rattin’ me out to Kamoshida?”

Chiyo flinched, her eyes wandering from side to side, trying to avoid eye-contact with the boy. Her free hand grasped the straps of her bag tighter as she tried to make herself shrink. She wasn’t looking for trouble, couldn’t he see that? “K-Kamoshida?” she asked, adopting the same tone of voice she used just seconds ago.

_‘Don’t cause trouble,’_ she told herself like a mantra. _‘Don’t cause trouble. It’s not worth it.’_

The slightly hostile look the boy gave her steadily turned to one of confusion like Chiyo had just sporadically grown a parasitic twin from her stomach. “That dude in the car just now,” he said gesturing over his shoulder as though that alone would jog Chiyo’s memory. “Y’know, Kamoshida. He does whatever the hell he wants.” Scoffing, the boy peered over his shoulder at the retreating car still in sight. “Who does he think he is- the king of the castle? Don’t you think?”

“King of the castle” echoed Chiyo.

“Y’know, the way he-” The boy paused abruptly; his face scrunched as he scrutinized Chiyo. She could see the wheels in his head turning, perhaps he finally realized that she did not look familiar. Perhaps he realized that she truly did not know who this ‘Kamoshida’ person was.

At length, the boy crossed his arms over his chest and list his head to the side ever so slightly. “You...really don’t know Kamoshida? Are you for real? You’re from Shujin, right?”

“I-I just transferred,” murmured Chiyo.

The boy nodded briefly; he peered at the pin on Chiyo’s lapel, the one that had the number ‘2’ printed on it, signifying her as a second-year student. “Looks like we’re in the same grade, then,” he said more to himself than to Chiyo. “Transfer, huh? Guess that explains why you don’t know ‘im. But man, did you dodge a real bullet. Fresh meat and all.”

It was Chiyo’s turn to list her head to the side. It was the boy’s usage of ‘fresh meat’ that Chiyo didn’t understand immediately. However, so sooner had the thought crossed her, did she remember that the boy also called Kamoshida a ‘pervy teacher.’ Instantly, Chiyo put a stop to that train of thought. _‘Don’t look for trouble. Don’t look for trouble. Don’t look for trouble…’_

The boy looked up, skyward for a moment. “This rain ain’t too bad,” he said. “We better hurry up or we’ll be late. C’mon, I know a shortcut.”

Chiyo could not help the smile on her face; she shouldn’t read too much into this. The boy was likely just doing the decent thing. She also knew that it would probably be safe to follow from several paces behind just in case. But Chiyo didn’t care at the moment. Just for a few minutes, even though it would likely end when they got to school, Chiyo simply wanted to pretend she had friends.

Her smile died faster than it came when she felt dizzy all of a sudden. She brought her free hand to her temple and tried to massage the ache away. She wanted to believe it was simply because she was too used to wearing contacts daily and she was still getting used to her glasses. But that would have been fooling herself, Chiyo started wearing her glasses almost immediately after the trial. She should have been used to them by now.

The odd thing was that the boy was similarly trying to ease away a sudden headache. “Fuck, my head hurts,” the boy muttered to himself. “Dammit, I wanna go home…”

###### 

_Chiyo swore she could feel her heartbeat in her head. Between the beating she’d taken and having gone for so long without her glasses, she was kind of surprised she was just barely starting to feel a headache coming on. She held her head in one hand, her fingers entangled in her bangs._

_Across the table from her, Niijima nodded, recalling the very day Chiyo had described. “There was a terrible subway accident that day. I assume you know the uproar that the public calls the ‘psychotic breakdown incidents.’”_

_“After the first couple of days or so, yeah,” said Chiyo._

_“On that day,” Niijima began slowly in such a tone that told Chiyo she needed to consider her words very carefully from here on out. “Were you still an ‘ordinary’ student back then? You transferred to Shujin Academy, an ordinary prep school that could be found in any city… That’s what it should have been. What happened around that time?”_

_Sighing through her nose, Chiyo massaged her right temple with the corresponding hand. The more she talked, the more the haze let up. And she knew the following was not going to be easy to explain. “This is going to sound outrageous…”_

###### 

Chiyo stayed a few paces behind the boy, her phone still in her hand as she walked. She wanted to inspect the app more, provided she had time before class started, but she did not want to take her eyes off the boy. His shortcut involved cutting through a couple of back alleyways. However, after being pelted on by the rain and even more, fatter water drops dripping off the roofs, Chiyo placed her phone back in her blazer pocket. Hopefully, the app would not accidentally back out thanks to an ill-timed bump.

She paused for a moment and glanced over her shoulder. Something did not feel right, but Chiyo was unable to find the words to describe it. Something was just… off. And even then, ‘off’ was far from the proper description.

When the boy let out a sudden confused shout, Chiyo half-jogged to catch up with him. She was sure they were on the school grounds, but instead of the white building she saw yesterday, an old European-style castle stood in its place. Confused, but significantly more calmer after the initial shock, the boy glanced back down the shortcut they had just come from. “The hell?” he asked himself. “I’ve been takin’ this path since last year, this should be right…”

_‘Not to mention something like this would be a tourist attraction and would not go unnoticed,’_ Chiyo added silently.

The boy started to walk off ahead of her, straight for the castle drawbridge over the moat. “H-Hey!” called Chiyo. “Shouldn’t we head back?”

“I’m just checkin’. You can wait out here if ya want.”

Without another word, the boy continued his trek, Chiyo let out a frightened whimper. She did not want to wait out here alone. She wanted to find out what was going on and get to class. But, Chiyo supposed she couldn’t quite do that by waiting outside twiddling her thumbs.

She half-jogged after the boy across the road and down the drawbridge. The foyer inside was decorated with red throw rugs atop green and white floor tiles. Straight ahead was a grand staircase that parted at the wings. Above was a massive chandler with crystalline decoration hanging down. “What the hell man…” the boy breathed out. He reached into his blazer pocket and pulled out his phone. His brow furrowed as soon as he looked at the screen. “Out of service? Where’d we end up…”

“M-Maybe it’s a sporadic school event?” Chiyo was kidding herself and there was no way the boy would even go with it. What was better, a stupid suggestion or not even bothering with a suggestion at all?

“Halt, who goes there?!”

A man in black armor with a massive shield and broadsword in hand marched right up to them. Chiyo brought a fist up to her mouth, her brow furrowed at the sight of the man’s blue-green skin. That could not be healthy…

At her side, the boy leaped out of his skin. Heaving a breath, he held a hand over his chest. “Geez, you freaked me out,” he exhaled. Catching his breath, he scrutinized the man. “You a student? Either way, the costumes impressive… Is that real armor?”

“I-I-I don’t think he’s a student.” Chiyo stuttered as a second man in matching black armor and similar blue-green skin walked up to them. A cold rush ran through her veins, goosebumps pricked her skin. They needed to get out of here, now. “What’s going on?”

“Dude, I don’t know!” the boy shot out. The first guard approached him causing the boy’s face to go pale. “This shit’s real…”

Both guards inched closer to the students, boxing them in. Slowly, the boy held his hands up in a placating gesture, while Chiyo’s hands went right back to her bag straps. “C-Calm down,” the boy pleaded. “Time out, man!”

In a flash, the boy whirled around and grabbed Chiyo by the upper arm. “Come on, we gotta run!” He ushered her away from the guards, only by several paces until more guards arrived blocking the exit. “Shit, where’re they even coming from?!”

The guard nearest to the boy tossed his shielded arm at him, hitting him with an audible thud and knocking him to the floor. Shrieking, Chiyo leaped back. How much physical assault could someone take before it maimed or killed them?

Thankfully, the boy was still conscious. After catching his breath, he prompted himself up, suggesting that he didn’t have any injuries, or at least none serious. “You’re gonna break my bones, damnit!” he snapped. “The hell you think you’re-”

Without warning, one of the guards brought his sword arm down. Their fist and hilt hit the boy in the back of the head. Chiyo caught sight of the boy's brown eyes rolling into the back of his head before he fell back down. She shrieked again, her first thoughts instantly went over all possible and fatal head injuries.

She heard another thunk before she felt the pain. The guards in front of her turned into dark blobs, they were suddenly at angles and growing before everything went black altogether.

###### 

Despite his screaming headache, he was the first one of the two to come around. As though the day couldn’t have gotten any more messed up than it already was, he woke up to find himself in a cell. A rather spacious cell at that, but a cell all the same. Barrels were lined up against the walls on either side of the door. Manacles were hanging off against the red brick walls. Behind him were a couple of wooden cots – yes, that was what he was going to tell himself. Just ignore the manacles at the four corners and the suspicious wheel overhead.

He sat up rubbing the back of his head in an attempt to soothe the sore area. He found himself on the floor beside the cot where the transfer student laid still. It took him a few more seconds to realize she was even there. When he did, he placed the back of his hand in front of her face. To his relief, he could feel a steady stream of warm breath against his hand. Still alive.

Sighing, he sat back down and looked straight ahead at the barred door. “What the hell man?” he asked no one in particular.

First thing was first, he needed to wake the transfer girl, then figure out how to get out of this mess. He sat himself on his knees and gently shook the girl by the shoulder. “Hey. C’mon, wake up!”

###### 

Chiyo’s eyes fluttered open to find the blond boy at her side. Pushing herself up, she felt something dusty under her. She readjusted her glasses and took in her surroundings. Her heart started fluttering in her chest as her blood ran cold once more at the sight of the cell bars and the chains on the wall.

“You all right?” the boy asked, standing up as she spoke.

“Where are we?!” Normally, Chiyo might have hated the wine in her voice. She should have asked if the boy was okay after two blows from an opponent that clearly outranked him. But her fears at the moment overrode any sense of basic decency.

“Not sure. Looks like this ain’t no dream,” the boy said under his breath. After a few moments of silence, he suddenly let out a frustrated yell before raking both hands through his hair in rapid succession. “What the hell’s goin’ on?!”

He ran up to the bars, the floor somehow rippling with each step. The oddity of it was enough to break Chiyo out of her doldrums. How was it even happening? The floor wasn’t wet, there wasn’t anything but dust and grime. That didn’t even explain how the ‘drops’ falling with each step were purple. Chiyo mulled over it all while the blond boy yelled out, trying to get someone’s attention. When no one answered, he grabbed ahold of the bars and shook them to the best of his ability. They did not rattle much, apparently being better made than how they looked. “Damnit! I don’t get any of this!” He approached Chiyo with a slight limp in his step. “What do you think, some kind of TV set?”

Chiyo shook her head. “Wouldn’t a station get into trouble if they knocked out a couple of unsuspecting minors?”

“I guess that’s true… But…” he raked a hand through his hair again, “dammit, what other explanation is there?” He glanced over her shoulder, back at the cell door. His face lit up seconds later before he whipped his head back towards Chiyo. “Hey, you gotta hairpin?”

Pitifully, Chiyo shook her head. Oh, sure she had hairpins, she had to put her hair up to perform in meets after all. But she hadn’t needed them for her half-pony. Of all moments where they could have been useful… “Do you even know how to pick a lock?” asked Chiyo.

“No. But how hard could it be?”

A sudden clatter caused the pair to jump. Outside the cell stood several black-armored guards. With another clatter from the key moving the tumblers inside, the door creaked open. Four guards in total filed in one by one. “Be glad that your punishment has been decided upon,” one of them said. Chiyo wasn’t sure which one spoke, no one’s lips moved. “You’re charged with unlawful entry. Thus, you will be sentenced to death.”

“Excuse me?!” the boy demanded.

“No one’s allowed to do as they please in my castle. No one else but me, that is,” said a new voice. The guards parted, two on either side, revealing a man wearing nothing but a pink speedo and a fluffy red and pink cape. Chiyo almost thought the man was completely naked under the cape because of the light color of the speedo. Thankfully the lack of male anatomy made Chiyo double-check and realize she was wrong.

Thank goodness for that...

The man was middle-aged with a strong jaw and wavy black hair, it was the PE teacher who offered Chiyo a ride that morning. The man the blond boy called Kamoshida.

“What the hell?!” the boy’s voice cracked. “Kamoshida?”

“I thought it was some petty thief, but to think it’d be you, Sakamoto,” Kamoshida said uncaringly as he stared idly at the boy. “Are you trying to disobey me again? Looks like you haven’t learned your lesson after all.” His eyes, a vibrant shade of yellow, traveled to Chiyo; a smirk pulled at his lips. “And you brought a little friend this time...because you can’t do anything for yourself. Do you need to hide behind women now? And you call yourself a man.”

“This ain’t funny, asshole!” Sakamoto snapped. His voice had raised, possibly the most hostile Chiyo had ever seen him. Not that it really meant much from someone she just met.

Kamoshida demanded, “Is that how you speak to your king?! It seems you don’t understand the position you’re in at all. Not only did you sneak into my castle, but you also committed the crime of insulting the king.” He gripped his chin with one hand, pretending to think. “The punishment for that is death. It’s time for an execution!”

The man smiled in such a way it left Chiyo wondering if he got off on this sort of thing. One of the guards grabbed her roughly by the blazer and shoved her to the side. They proceeded to block Sakamoto into the far corner of the room, his expression was somewhere between anger and faltering. His brow furrowed instantly as he ran up to one of the guards, slamming his shoulder hard into its chest. The sudden attack successfully knocked the guard onto its back like an overturned turtle; it disappeared in a haze of black smog. “I ain't down for that shit! C’mon, we’re outta here!” shouted Sakamoto.

One of the remaining three guards swung its sword hand straight at the boy, landing a blow in Sakamoto’s solar plexus. He was thrown back against the wall, one arm wrapped around his abdomen. He was still gripping it as he sunk to his knees. “Sakamoto-kun!” Chiyo shouted, her voice high pitched, and her throat tight.

She had to do something, no matter how much of a token effort it was. This wasn’t about causing trouble anymore, it was about not getting themselves killed in a dangerous situation!

Lifting his head, Sakamoto looked straight at Chiyo. “Just go! Get outta here!”

Just like that, Chiyo froze in place. With the guards so focused on Sakamoto all that was left to do was deal with Kamoshida by the door. Chiyo could make a run for it with things the way they were. But that would mean leaving Sakamoto behind… Could she do that to him?

A cruel, low chuckle broke Chiyo out of her thoughts. “Running away, are we?” Kamoshida asked with such a peculiar look on his face before he glanced back at Sakamoto. “What a heartless friend you are.”

“She ain’t a friend…” rasped Sakamoto. His eyes met with Chiyo’s “Just go already!”

Chiyo knew she shouldn’t read too much into Sakamoto’s words one way or another. It was the same as it was outside the castle. He was likely just trying to do the right thing. But all Sakamoto’s words did was keep Chiyo rooted in place. “What’s the matter?” Kamoshida asked her mockingly as though he were speaking to a particularly stupid dog. “Too scared to run away?”

“Th-That’s not…”

Scoffing Kamoshida rolled his eyes. “Typical of a woman. I’ll deal with you later. For now, let’s focus on Sakamoto’s execution.”

The guard closest to Chiyo pointed the tip of his sword straight at her neck, one wrong move, and the blade would go straight in. All the way in, no doubt. The other two guards grabbed Sakamoto by the arms, forcing him upright. Kamoshida approached him with a twisted smirk, then proceeded to beat Sakamoto with his bare hands.

Chiyo could hear each time Kamoshida’s fist met with Sakamoto’s person. With each contact of his fist, Kamoshida muttered an insult directed at Sakamoto. Chiyo could only make out a few words, ‘lowly scum,’ ‘useless,’ ‘shithead.’ On the last insult, Kamoshida brought his arm down the back of Sakamoto’s head. The boy became a useless sack of meat and bones held up only by the guards holding onto his arms. When they let go, Sakamoto fell to his knees, coughing and gasping for breath. Watching the scene play out, Kamoshida tutted, crossing his arms over his chest. “Where’d your energy from earlier go? A peasant like you isn’t worth beating.”

Without warning, one of the guards grabbed Sakamoto by the back of the collar and tossed him against the wall opposite Chiyo. She flinched when she heard the sound of Sakamoto’s body hitting the wall. “I’ll have you killed right now,” continued Kamoshida.

Chiyo’s hands balled up at her sides, her face was beginning to feel hot beneath her skin. She couldn't just sit back and watch anymore. Was running away when she had the chance really a question?

“Aren’t you supposed to be a teacher?” Chiyo asked, no longer using the meek, airy tone she adopted. “What, are you one of those sad excuses for a teacher who gets off on lording their power over their students? How pathetic can you get?”

Instantly, Kamoshida turned on his heel, glaring at Chiyo. His brow furrowed, enraged as he approached her. Like that alone would be enough to intimidate her. “‘Sad?’ ‘Pathetic?’” Kamoshida repeated darkly, carefully enunciating each word. “Don’t you dare tell me you don’t know who I am!”

“A pathetic old man,” Chiyo said mimicking Kamoshida mocking dumb dog tone. “I’m pretty sure I already established that.”

Kamoshida’s expression darkened further. Out of nowhere, he took Chiyo’s chin between his thumb and forefinger and tilted her head from one angle to the next, inspecting her features. “Hey!” Sakamoto shouted. He pushed himself off the wall, one arm outstretched as he launched forward. “Get away from her you son of a-!”

The guard shoved Sakamoto back against the wall, knocking the wind out of him. Both guards held him in place as Sakamoto continued to struggle. Slowly, casually, Kamoshida removed Chiyo’s glasses, then tilted her head from side to side again. “Not bad, I suppose,” he said at length and tossed Chiyo’s glasses haphazardly to the side. “Not quite the level of my princess, but decent. What’re you doing here anyway? A princess like yourself shouldn’t have to settle for such a lowly scum as Sakamoto.”

Without warning, Kamoshida grabbed Chiyo’s blazer and tore it open. Kamoshida’s lips pulled back, his yellow eyes gleaming with excitement as he eyed Chiyo’s bosom.

_“Did you just-?!”_

_“Relax. I’m just playing.”_

In a rush of rage, Chiyo sucked in as much as she could, and spat a fat wad right into Kamoshida’s eye. He recoiled, trying to clear the spit out of his vision. Chiyo saw a flash of Kamoshida’s scowl before he drew a hand back, striking Chiyo across the face. She stumbled to the side when Kamoshida’s hand made contact, her loose hair falling in front of her face as she caught her breath. “Maybe you’re not such a princess after all,” growled Kamoshida. Biting back the pain in her cheek, Chiyo glared back up at Kamoshida through her bangs. He eyed her, almost unnerved before his expression contorted back into anger. “That look in your eye is beginning to irritate me. After the peasant, it’s her turn to die.”

The guard holding Sakamoto in place pulled his sword from its scabbard with a sharp hiss. Instantly, Chiyo pushed herself off the wall and tried to break forward. The only plan she had was simply to jump the guard and hope the ensuing chaos would allow them both a chance to escape. But the remaining two guards grabbed Chiyo by the shoulders and slammed her back against the wall. Their hands were planted firmly on Chiyo’s shoulders pinning her in place no matter how much she tried to struggle.

The guard in front of Sakamoto aimed his sword at him, waiting for Kamoshida to give the order to strike. Despite all his big talk from earlier, Sakamoto’s eyes were fit to burst out of fear alone. He was as frightened as Chiyo had been, and she was unable to do anything about it.

_“Truly an unjust game,”_ she heard, the voice was boyish but still gentle. _“With the odds so stacked against you, your chances of winning grow slimmer and slimmer.”_

A light suddenly caught Chiyo’s attention. Her vision could only make out a small delicate creature of a brilliant shade of blue that fluttered overhead. A butterfly? A moth?

As soon as the moth flew in, three more followed in its wake, each one flying gently in front of Chiyo. Was it just her poor eyesight making things fuzzy, or were the moths starting to glow? _“But if my voice is reaching you,”_ said a boy's voice, _“then perhaps you can even the odds. Please, for your own sake, and for everyone’s, even the odds. Beat him at his own game.”_

The moths fluttered away, through the open cell door where they seemed to disappear. Ignored by the guards and Kamoshida. Abruptly, Chiyo flinched, an ache started to pound in her head.

_“So, what are you going to do?”_ asked a new voice, a woman’s voice. Confident and sultry, this was a woman who commanded adoration and respect from those around her. _“Twiddle your thumbs and watch? Look the other way and do nothing? Death awaits this boy if you do nothing. Or did you make a mistake that night? Look at where it got you after all.”_

A mistake?

Chiyo certainly had reason to think so. Her life was ruined because of that man’s claims because of his drunken stupor. People who knew Chiyo for years decided they didn’t know her anymore. Her friends distanced themselves from her, Chiyo’s mother essentially disowned her. She was shipped off to live with a stranger who was icy at the best of times, uncaring at the worst, and sent to a new school in a big city. Chiyo’s dreams of becoming a renowned gymnast were shattered. And here she was now, so desperate for companionship she was latching on to a few random kindnesses from a boy she just met.

Wasn’t it a mistake?

Were they all right and Chiyo should have just minded her own business? Kept her nose to herself?

The day Chiyo left for Tokyo, her mother, Ryou Kusakabe, had accompanied her to the platform. Neither mother nor daughter had anything much to say to each other in the weeks since the trial. At most, Ryou would tell Chiyo whether or not she would be alone for dinner at night – and more often than naught, Chiyo was alone for dinner in those days – or when she was going over paperwork with the lawyer after work. Ryou’s one rule since the trial was simple; unless the apartment building was on fire, don’t leave the apartment. Chiyo did not obey that particular rule religiously.

It must have been the middle of March when Ryou informed Chiyo that she had found a school willing to admit Chiyo, provided she was well-behaved and followed the rules. Upon finding out that the school was in Tokyo, Chiyo’s first concern was boarding, but Ryou was quick to inform her that Eiichi found someone with space for her. Neither Ryou, nor Eiichi knew who Sojiro Sakura was beyond that he owned a cafe within travel distance of her new school, and that he had the space to house her and was willing to. That was all they needed to know. Chiyo never did find out how Eiichi became acquainted with him

Ever since the trial, Chiyo could barely stand to look Ryou in the eye. And so, waiting on the platform for the train to take her away for the next year, Chiyo dared a glance at Ryou. It was clear that Chiyo took after Ryou the most, they both had the same dark brown hair, Chiyo was maybe just a little taller than Ryou, and though it wasn’t obvious at first, due to Ryou’s contacts, Chiyo got her eyesight from her too.

She opened her mouth to say something, anything to avoid leaving home with such iciness. “I don’t know where to begin with just to calculate the yen you’ve ultimately wasted,” Ryou cut her off before Chiyo could say anything. She turned her attention to Chiyo, her dark eyes met with Chiyo’s pale ones. “Hundreds of thousands? And for _what_? Because you couldn’t keep your nose out of someone’s business? Or perhaps, I truly don’t know you at all.”

Her throat went tight. “Mom-”

“Stop!” Ryou held her hand up. She turned to fully face Chiyo, her glare willing her to look at Ryou and Ryou alone. “Go to Sakura-san’s, go to Shujin Academy, follow the rules, get through your probation… or don’t. From here on out, I don’t care what you do. When all is said and done, you will have no place with me.”

Chiyo tried to will herself not to cry, no matter how tight her throat felt or how heavy her chest felt. No matter how much she could feel the pressure behind her eyes build up. No matter how much she wanted to just wrap her hands around Ryou’s neck and squeeze. No matter how much she wanted to scream at her.

“Perhaps in the future,” Ryou continued, “you will learn to keep your nose out of other people’s business.”

When the train arrived, Chiyo stepped onboard, hiccupping on the tears she was failing to hold back. She looked out the window to see Ryou one last time, and she was walking off the platform before the train even left.

Hadn’t she made a mistake?

But then Chiyo thought about the woman repeatedly telling the man no while he refused to listen to her. She was so clearly in tears, helpless, begging him to stop. Chiyo had no reason to believe the man wouldn’t have forced himself on her as soon as they were in the car. Even when someone called the police about the noise, no one else was going to step in and help her.

What did it matter if Chiyo was an obedient girl before all this? What did it matter if she had a bright future ahead? The instant she ‘did’ something wrong, that was it for her and the life she knew. Who cared about her history before?

Sojiro told her she needed to obey the laws set by society, which she did… And a lot of good it did for her in the end. Society turned its back on Chiyo the instant someone with the power to bend the law into his favor showed up. Wasn’t that how the world worked in the end? You either have the power or you're someone else’s plaything.

The guard grabbed Sakamoto by the collar and lifted him as high as its arm could reach, the sword still pointed straight at him. And Sakamoto, despite his struggles, could not get himself free.

Chiyo’s hands were beginning to shake, from her fingers to her wrists, all the way up her arms to her shoulders and down her spine. All across her body, she was shaking with a rage she never thought herself capable of. Her shoulders rose and fell rapidly as she got herself worked up, her breathing became erratic as her heart began to race. Her head lowered slightly as she glared through her bangs; her jaw was clenched so hard her temples began to hurt.

No…

Despite everything, despite what everyone said, despite what they tried to convince her of, Chiyo did the right thing.

But fucking hell, was she _sick_ of everyone telling her otherwise!

The ache in Chiyo’s head intensified. Gasping for breath, she threw her head back, hitting the back of her skull against the wall. The pain increased, from the very depths of her mind. She screamed, tears brimming in her eyes, her throat quickly becoming raw. Yet the pain refused to let up.

Half-sobbing, Chiyo struggled against the guard's grip, wanting so desperately to bring her hands to her temples and soothe the pain. This wasn’t just an ordinary headache, surely this had to be the sort of pain that could kill a person.

_“So,”_ the woman’s voice continued over Chiyo’s struggle, _“you finally decided to stop acting scared. Very well. I have heeded your resolve. Now, vow to me, and I will help you act furious!”_

The guttural scream Chiyo let out must have rattled her ribcage. Tears and sweat trickled down her cheeks. She just wanted to make the pain stop, but she couldn’t even do anything but flail around to the best of her ability.

_“I am thou, thou art I… Thou who art willing to perform all sacrilegious acts for thine own justice! Call upon my name, and release thy rage!”_ The woman’s voice projected, louder and louder with each word until she was yelling at the top of her lungs. _“Show the strength of will to ascertain all on thine own, though thou be chained to Hell itself!”_

She could have fallen to her knees were it not for the guards keeping her up. The pain had dulled, but her breathing and pulse would not settle. Before her, Kamoshida brought an arm down like an axe, barking, “Execute him!”

“All right, shithead games over.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I went out of my way to try and keep Chiyo and her narration from cursing until that moment. When she finally decided to get angry, that moment is a turning point for her. Unfortunately, it’s an emotional high and they don’t have a tendency to stick around.
> 
> When I originally conceived Chiyo’s mom, I was going for a typical stage mom, but somewhere along the way she became emotionally abusive on top of that. It’s only recently, however, that I realize Ryou’s also comes across as emotionally distant. This “fits” with some things that will be revealed later on.


	5. Chapter Four

**Chapter Four  
The Pillager of Twilight**

###### 

**_Monday, April 11th_ **

###### 

The tension in the air was so thick it could be cut through with a knife. Sakamoto’s gaze wandered between Chiyo, to Kamoshida, and back. Kamoshida, almost robotically, turned his head to peer over his shoulder. He growled, enunciating each syllable, “What was that?”

“You heard me,” Chiyo said, matching Kamoshida’s tone, “ _shithead_.”

With that, Kamoshida’s attention was fully on Chiyo. The guard released Sakamoto, allowing him to slide to the floor. “You desire to be killed that much?!” Kamoshida demanded, fixing his glare on her. “Fine! I’m fed up with your shit, anyway!”

With a gesture from Kamoshida, the guards released Chiyo’s shoulders. One of them brought their shields down on Chiyo, knocking her off balance, were it not for the second guard keeping her up, she likely would have landed right on her knee. She was pinned back against the wall, the guards each holding out a lance, crisscrossing them under her chin. At the other side of the room, Sakamoto struggled to get back on his feet and do something. But no matter how hard he tried, he always ended up back on the floor.

Kamoshida gave the third guard the signal to strike. Chiyo could make out the guard raising his sword above his head with both hands. A sudden… pulse caused her to throw her head back, eyes wide from the shock of it all. A gust of wind suddenly picked up, though there wasn’t a draft in the cell.

Her hair flew around her, licking the sides of her face, tossing it about When the wind died down the guards lowered their lances slightly. Chiyo lowered her head, feeling something weighing down on her face. Whatever it was, it was heavier than her glasses.

Confused, her hands went up to her face. Her fingers met with something smooth, a hard material over her eyes and the bridge of her nose. A mask?

Instinctively, she tried to pull at the edge and felt the effect of it tugging at her skin, like the mask was fused to her skin. Despite the pain, it caused her to even do just that, something in her was telling her, yelling at her, to pull it off. Yank it off with all she had inside her, even if it sapped what little energy she had left.

Obeying the call, Chiyo dug her fingers under the edge of the mask. That act alone caused her pain, vaguely, Chiyo was aware of the blood dripping out from the hole her fingers made. Was she flaying herself by trying to take this mask off? Would she rip off the skin over her eyes if she could get it off?

Take it off, the cells in her body seemed to be crying out at once. **_Take it off!_**

Her chest heaved as she prepared to dig her fingers further under the mask. She cried out in pain half-sobbing, her hands were sticky with blood now. With one last scream, with one firm tug, Chiyo tore the mask off her face with all her strength.

Blood created a perfect outline of the mask over her eyes, it oozed down her face, splattering on the floor as the mask slipped out of her hand, onto the floor. Suddenly light-headed, Chiyo’s head and shoulders dropped. Her breathing wrecked her body as she struggled to catch her breath. Chiyo’s heart was pounding so hard she could feel it in her chest, hear it in her ears. Her head was swimming, the memory of the pain was still there, mixed with the relief she felt when it finally dissipated.

She was spent, her strength near gone, she just wanted to drop and close her eyes. But Chiyo felt her mouth move, as though someone was helping her. With her voice hushed and rasped, she spoke, “Per...so...na…”

The mask at her feet burst into white flames that quickly engulfed Chiyo’s person. Despite it looking like fire, Chiyo idly realized she couldn’t feel the heat, it wasn’t even cold. She felt rejuvenated, reborn, even she felt her strength return to her as the flames covered her person.

Euphoria began to bubble up in Chiyo’s belly, a smile tugged at her lips, so wide it was a wonder it didn’t split her face. Was this what it felt like to have control over her own life for a change? No mother dictating what she ate and how her schedule played out. No law to tell the world what her worth was or play favorites. No guardian to sound so put upon over something he had the final say in. No teacher abusing his position.

Chiyo wanted to shout her name to the heavens. She wanted to take on the world several times over, knowing she would win. In this moment, Chiyo relished in her rage. There was a storm raging within her, and she could not wait to unleash it, Hurricane Chiyo.

A low, sultry chuckle echoed around the cell, the flames rose off of Chiyo’s body, taking shape into a vaguely human form. The figure curled its limbs in on itself, in a fluid motion, the figure stuck a strong pose, tearing the flames off its person. The tall figure standing behind Chiyo donned a long, red ruffled tailcoat with four sets of silver buttons going down it’s front. Its legs were thin around the thighs, thick just under the knees, making it look like it was wearing boots. Its heels were a couple of sharp spikes, giving off the illusion that the creature’s ‘boots’ were high heeled. Its hands were clawed, and black with hints of a white shirt poking out from the coat sleeve. A red, wide-brim fedora with a black band perched atop its head, while hair as black as raven feathers trailed down its back in layers. Black feathered wings protruded from its lower back and curved around the being's body. Circling the figure were ethereal chains, appearing and fading as they circled it. Somehow, four sets of chain links hung free, hovering as though attached to Chiyo’s wrists and ankles.

Chiyo had not gone unchanged either. Her Shujin uniform had been replaced with a black, ankle-length tailcoat. The slits in the coat were roughly at her waist, greatly reducing leg restriction. Her sleeve cuffs were thick and buttoned down with gold cufflinks. Beneath the coat, Chiyo wore a charcoal-grey leotard with a sheer skirt. The leotard’s collar was flesh-colored, making it look like she was wearing something strapless with a matching choker around her neck. She had on a pair of sleek black leggings and a pair of red-brown oxford dance shoes that gave her a couple of inches of added height. Over her leggings and shoes were a pair of dark grey, button-down leg warmer that covered her instep like a pair of spats. Her hands were covered by a pair of striking red gloves, her scarf scrunchie had grown a few inches and had turned a solid shade of black.

Her lips tugged back as far as they could, revealing her teeth. Chiyo lifted her arms over her head as though she were trying to jump out and take someone half-heartedly by surprise. But in perfect unison with the creature, a pair of black, feather wings appeared from the creature's back. The sudden burst of power the action generated was strong enough to send the guards flying backward.

Kamoshida, looking like he was about ready to piss himself, scurred off and nearly tripped over himself in his escape. Sakamoto, on the other hand, sat in his place dumbfounded. This day was already messed up, but somehow, it went completely off the rails now. His gaze traveled from the tall, winged creature, to the transfer student. Her character had taken a complete one-eighty, it was hard to believe this was the same girl.

_“I am the pillager of twilight – Arsène!”_ the figure declared despite its mouth not moving. Slowly, Chiyo half-turned to face the creature that called itself Arsène. _“I am the rebel’s soul that resides within you. If you so desire, I shall grant you the power to break through this crisis.”_

Chiyo glanced forward, one of the guards struggled to rise to their feet, and she had every reason to believe they would attack at any moment. She didn’t know what these guards were, but they couldn’t take them on their own. When she turned back at Arsène, she held her right hand up in offering. “Please… grant me your power!”

Arsène’s head tilted ever so slightly. The sound she made suggested she was pleased with Chiyo’s answer. _“Very well...”_

“Errr! Who the hell are you!” Kamoshida shouted from the cell door, safely away from the commotion. “Guards!”

Obediently, the nearest guard shot onto its feet, followed suit by another. They looked to Kamoshida, who was pointing furiously at Chiyo. “Start by killing that bitch!” The guard’s body started to twitch and twist. It’s form changed from a tall, imposing guard, to a couple of small, kind of cute Jack-o-Lanterns wearing indigo witch caps and matching robes. Grinning smugly, Kamoshida turned his attention onto Chiyo. “About time you learn the true strength of my men!”

Unphased by the man’s taunts, Chiyo tossed her arm forward, towards the creature. “Arsène!”

Arsène spread her wings; beneath one of the creatures, a circle opened, red and black miasma shot out, consuming the creature. When the smog died, the Jack-o-Lantern struggled to stay afloat. After a few heartbeats, it fell, disappearing into a black haze before it touched the floor. Behind Chiyo, Arsène disappeared, her job done for the time being; as soon as she disappeared, a white and black domino mask appeared back on Chiyo’s face.

Instinctively, Chiyo reached into her coat, she found an inner pocket where a thing black stick was nestled inside. She took the stick out, a thick, red ribbon trailed after the stick until a few yards of length pooled at Chiyo’s feet. A gymnastics ribbon.

She circled her wrist, gathering the ribbon in perfect coils. Her instincts took over as she tossed the ribbon. The turns Chiyo made as she approached the Jack-o-Lantern were the same ones she made countless times before. Tight, fast, light on her feet; but she had never worn shoes like these as she performed them. If not in her toeshoes, she simply wore socks or went barefoot. And yet, the presence of shoes, heeled shoes at that, didn’t seem to hinder her.

As Chiyo approached the Jack-o-Lantern she effortlessly caught the ribbon. She lifted her left leg, as his upper body dipped forward. She moved her arm, making a figure-eight with the ribbon. The figure-eights seemed to generate some sort of energy that struck the Jack-o-Lantern in a brief flash of light when it was hit. Once. Twice. Thrice. Chiyo traveled back to her original position, performing the same tight turns as the ribbon snaked around her. In her wake, the Jack-o-Lantern twitched before it dropped to the floor. As it’s fellow before it, the creature dissipated into a black haze.

A silence fell upon them as the last trace of the Jack-o-Lantern dissipated, leaving behind, what looked like, yen coins and paper notes.

_What?_

The silence was broken by Sakamoto as he leaned his back against the wall to stand up. “What was that just now?” he asked, his voice was slightly airy and high pitched.

“I’m...not sure,” Chiyo said, studying her appearance. Why did all of that make her change clothes? What happened to her uniform for that matter?

Kamoshida, so livid his face turned beat red, stomped straight up to Chiyo. After what he had just witnessed, she had to wonder if that was really a sage idea. “You little-!”

Without warning, Sakamoto bent down slightly and threw himself forward. He tackled Kamoshida in the mid-section, knocking the man off his feet. A metallic ting was heard as a keyring landed where Kamoshida had previously been standing. And just like that, Sakamoto’s previous bravado was back as he shouted, “How do you like that, you son of a bitch?!”

“Quick, grab the key!” Chiyo ordered.

Sakamoto released a slight squeak as he quickly bent down to grab the keyring. As quickly as he could, he grabbed his and Chiyo’s school bags. They sprinted out of the room and together, took the cell door and slammed it closed. Fluidly, Sakamoto locked the door, then hurled the keyring in a random direction. “So what was all that?” Sakamoto repeated, facing Chiyo. “I mean that fire… that thing… your clothes!”

He gestured to Chiyo’s person.

Before either of them knew it, a similar burst of blue-white flames erupted around Chiyo’s being again. When the fire died down, she was back in her school uniform; even her glasses were back on her face, much to her eminence relief. “Ah...” she breathed out. Her fingers braced themselves on the sides of her frames. “That’s convenient.”

“Goddamn, brats!” Kamoshida roared, reaching a hand through the bars. Sakamoto scurried back, putting as much distance as he could between himself and Kamoshida.

“I think that’s our cue to go,” said Chiyo.

“Yeah, screw this joint,” Sakamoto agreed. He passed Chiyo her bag; he laced his arms through the straps of his bag and wore it like a backpack.

Chiyo shouldered hers and scrutinized the area outside the cell. Wherever they were, they had to be near water judging by the stream along the line of cells and flowing under hanging cages. But at the same time, Chiyo had the feeling they were underground; there were no windows, no source of light outside of the metal chandlers with purple flames inside. Chiyo surveyed the area, there was a door to the left, metal and barred. However, to the right was a dead end and a bridge that lead across the reservoir.

She reached out for Sakamoto, tugging at his sleeve. “This way. Come on!”

They ran, leaving Kamoshida shouting for the guards in their wake.

The bridge took them across the reservoir where they found a door that lead them to another part of the dungeon. Was an identical hall, two lines of jail cells on either side of a roaring river. There was a drawbridge on standard, with a large bust of Kamoshida beside it. Both teens searched the area, but they couldn’t find any lever that could lower the bridge.

A _klunk klunk clang clang_ echoed around the room. A group of black-armored guards marched out of the mouth of a stone brick hallway. Chiyo grabbed Sakamoto by the forearm and pulled him down behind a couple of water-worn wooden crates. The drawbridge lowered, allowing the guards access to cross; one of the guards stayed behind to draw the bridge back up. Frustratingly, neither Chiyo nor Sakamoto could try and see how this was done without giving away their hiding spot. After that, Chiyo wasn’t willing to believe the guards were not of the stupid kind; they would likely have a spare cell key on them.

“You don’t think they’re lookin’ for us, do you?” Sakamoto asked in a hushed tone as the pair stood up.

“They will be after they get Kamoshida out of that cell.”

Frustrated, Sakamoto roughly raked his hands through his hair, groaning all the while. It seemed that this was Sakamoto’s way to work through his frustrated and anxious moods. I ain’t playin’ along with this anymore! There’s gotta be a way outta this goddamn place!”

“I know,” Chiyo said placatingly. “But unless we can get out of this dungeon, we’re fucked.”

“Hey, you there!”

Chiyo cocked a brow. “You say something?”

With pursed lips, Sakamoto shrugged plainly.

“Behind you!”

In unison, the two turned around to find another cell behind them. Inside was a small, black and white cat-like creature that stood on two legs. It had a large round head that was comically sized compared to the rest of its body. Strangely enough, it had on a black ski mask over its black-furred face. Around its waist, it wore a utility belt and donned a yellow neckerchief around its neck. Black fur covered most of its body save for the lower half of each limb, the tip of its tail, and its muzzle where white fur was. The creature's big blue eyes stood out the most against all the black on its person.

The cat kept its front paws on the bars, apparently locked in the cell just as it was. “What is that thing?!” Sakamoto asked, his voice wavering.

“A cat?” Chiyo replied plainly. What other answer was there?

“I am _not_ a cat!” the creature said in a boyish voice. “Say that again, and I’ll make you regret it!”

“Can’t really do that from where your standing...”

“Right. So...can you help me out?”

“We’re trying to get the hell out of here!” Sakamoto snapped back. “I mean, you obviously look like an enemy too!”

“I’m locked up in here! So how can I be your enemy?!” the creature argued. “Just help me!’

In the distance, Chiyo could hear someone yelling, Kamoshida perhaps. No doubt he was furious over the turn of events and calling for heads to roll. “Shit, they’re going to catch us at this rate,” hissed Sakamoto.

“Oh, you’re looking for an exit?” the creature asked, his ears twitched curiously. “Let me out and I’ll take you there. You don’t want to get caught and executed, do you?”

Chiyo bit the bed of her thumb, mulling over their options. They would end up running around in circles without help. And that was assuming they didn’t run into the guards again. What were the odds of Arsène and the resulting chaos happening again? Chiyo wasn’t even sure how it started in the first place. “We don’t have a choice,” she relented. She pointed a finger straight at the cat. “But I swear if you’re lying-”

“I _never_ go back on my word!” the cat argued firmly. “I want out of this cell as much as you two want out of here.”

Sakamoto leaned close to Chiyo. “You sure about this?” he asked. “This thing looks all talk.”

“Sure, go on about on your own again,” the cat said laying the sarcasm on thickly. “You were doing so well before.”

Chiyo looked over her shoulder, by the drawbridge was a thick wooden post. And on that post was a key ring with half-a-dozen rusty keys dangling from it. If that was the cell key… Chiyo didn’t even know. The stupidity of it was astronomical. Regardless of her feelings on the matter, she grabbed the keyring and tried out two keys before the lock tumbled open.

The cat pushed the door open with a creak, allowing it to toddle out. Its ears twitched happily. “Freedom never felt so good,” he said with a content sigh.

“Great, now, where’s the exit, monster cat?!” Sakamoto demanded impatiently.

The creature whirled a glare at Sakamoto. To be fair, the cat monster was probably trying to go for intimidating, but between its bulbous head and huge eyes, it looked more comical than anything else. “Don’t call me a cat!” the monster cat snapped the fur along its spine standing up on end. “I am Morgana!”

“We’ll worry about that later.” Chiyo held her hands out at her side before Sakamoto could strike back. “Right now we gotta put as much distance as possible between us and those guards.”

Curtly, Morgana nodded. “Right. Follow me!” He took off ahead of the high schoolers so fast they could barely see his stubby little legs moving. But with the kid's comparatively larger strides, it did not take them long to catch up with him.

###### 

_‘Why did it have to be my class?’_ Kawakami asked herself for the umpteenth time that day.

It was fourth period already and Kusakabe never showed up for class. Looks like Kawakami’s wish ended up coming true for the time being. Though she wasn’t exactly banking on it actually happening when she made it.

She called Sakura-san about it the first chance she got. Though Sakura-san was trying to be polite with her, she got the sense that he was not happy, especially since he said Kusakabe left with enough time to get to school on her own. Now, here she was, in the faculty office while the students were on break, mulling over the next best course of action.

“Should I just contact the police?” Kawakami asked no one in particular. After a moment she shook her head exasperated. “No, that’ll just be more of a hassle...”

Sighing again, she raked a hand through her bangs. What did she do to deserve this?

###### 

Morgan slid to a stop in front of the drawbridge and waited for the other two to catch up. Despite Morgana’s assertions that he wasn’t a cat, he managed to climb up the bust of Kamoshida with similar ease and style of any other house cat. “Now what’re you doing?” Sakamoto asked through a groan.

“What does it look like I’m doing? I’m lowering the bridge.” He climbed up to the neck of the bust, grabbed a hold of the jaw, and let himself hang off the statue. When nothing happened, Morgan started to kick his legs. “Hey, Four-Eyes,” he called, looking over his shoulder at Chiyo. “You look like you catch on faster than Blondie here. Mind helping me out here?”

_‘Four-Eyes?’_

She hesitantly approached the bust, and wrapped both hands around Morgana’s small body, and pulled down. The mouth of the bust followed along with them until an audible click was heard. Morgana let go of the mouth as the draw bridged lowered.

“How were supposed to know that?!” Sakamoto’s voice cracked slightly.

“Doing more than just looking at the thing helps,” Morgana said snidely. “Now, let’s go. We’re almost out of the dungeon.”

Despite every single crazy thing that happened today, Chiyo had to chalk up following Morgana as the strangest one of them all. The bipedal talking cat was barely up to Chiyo’s knee, but he had no problem asserting himself to a couple of kids three times his size. 

They ran across the bridge, into the stone hallway. However, trouble soon reared its ugly head when a guard suddenly materialized, blocking their path.

Sakamoto tripped over himself in fright. The guard turned to find the odd group, and instantly, Chiyo found herself coated in cool colored flames that died down to reveal the coat and mask from earlier replacing her uniform. The guard broke apart into two creatures, a Jack-o-Lantern, unlike the ones Chiyo faced in the cell, and a small, red demon.

“Looks like you can fight, Four-Eyes,” Morgana declared. He climbed onto Sakamoto’s shoulders, much to the boy’s irritation. “You stay where you are, Blondie. Let’s go!”

Sakamoto let out a brief, strained cry, as Morgana leaped off his shoulder. “Come… Zorro!”

In a swirl of blue and white energy, a vaguely human creature appeared at Morgana’s side. It was completely black in color and barrel-chested, with thick arms and thin, stick legs. Around its waist, it wore a large silver belt buckle in a stylized ‘Z’ and carried a silver-grey rapier in its meaty hand. “N-No way,” stuttered Sakamoto, “you have one of those things too?!”

Morgana smiled confidently as he crossed his arms over his chest. “We will promptly shut them up!”

Chiyo bounced gently on the balls of her feet, the stick of her ribbon held at the ready in her hand, her pointer finger lined against it. Morgana stood at her side, carrying a curved sword in his paw. How was he holding it if he didn’t have opposable thumbs? “Damn Shadows,” Morgana cursed under his breath, his back paws spread apart in a defensive stance. “That Jack-o-Lantern and devil aren’t too difficult, but they’re all over the place down here, so they’re a nuisance more than anything.”

The creature Morgana called Zorro slashed its rapier in a Z shape, which was somehow transferred to the Jack-o-Lantern. It vanished, leaving behind the red devil creature. Chiyo’s thoughts went to Arsène, and to her surprise, the domino mask vanished off her face in a flurry of blue fire. Behind her, Arsène spread its wings, casting the Eiha curse on the devil creature. The devil flinched, consumed by the curse, when it died down the devil struggled to stay afloat until it vanished into black and purple miasma. “Not bad for an amateur,” Morgana said as Arsène disappeared and Chiyo’s mask returned. “Your Persona’s pretty powerful.”

“Persona?” echoed Chiyo.

“I think he means that thing that comes outta you all dramatic-like,” Sakamoto said, half-jogging up to meet them.

“Well, that much I got. I just don’t get what it is.”

“In short, it’s a facet of yourself,” explained Morgana. “Everybody wears a mask deep within their heart. By removing your mask-”

Unfortunately, a flash of blue and white fire consumed Chiyo’s person again, returning her back into her school uniform. “Okay, why does that keep happening?” Chiyo asked irritably.

Morgana crossed his shoulders, his lips pursed to the side as he scrutinized Chiyo. “I’d say you don’t have full control over your power yet. The transformation shouldn’t normally dissolve like that. After all-”

Frustrated, Sakamoto raked his hands through his hair again. “Rrgh, that’s enough! This crap doesn’t make any sense!”

“Can’t you just sit still and listen, Blondie?!” snapped Morgana.

“Stop calling me Blondie! My name’s Ryu-”

Chiyo felt her brow furrow irritably, she held her hands up before the two of them could have at id. “Can we all keep our heads here? If we have to keep talking, can we at least do that while we’re moving before we’re caught?”

As soon as she said that, the fur on Morgana’s tail bristled. He looked away, embarrassed. “Yeah,” he agreed at length. “We shouldn’t be that far from the exit anyway. Let’s get a move on.”

Chiyo took off first with Morgana at her heels, leaving Sakamoto behind trying to figure out this transfer student. At first, she seemed like one of those fragile, shy girls who would rather avoid confrontation at all costs. But the way she’d talk back to Kamoshida, the way she was carrying herself now, taking charge, taking the lead. She didn’t need as much protection as Sakamoto initially thought. It really was like she was a different person.

He was wondering how long this dungeon went on until they came upon a line of cells that lead to a closed drawbridge. He reckoned Morgana would have told them something had he not heard someone moan out in pain. Skidding to a stop, Sakamoto peered into one of the cells to find a boy in a red tracksuit laying on the ground, withering in pain. “Hey, hold on a sec!”

“What is it?” questioned Chiyo.

“I feel like I’ve seen what this dude’s wearin’ before…” Sakamoto’s eyes wandered as he tried to figure where he’d seen it before. He felt as though it should have been obvious. Yelling out in frustration, he raked his hands through his hair. “Dammit! I’m too flustered, I can’t remember a damn thing!”

“Never mind that,” said Morgana. “We need to get going.”

“Hold on, dammit!”

“Have you forgotten you’re not out of the woods yet? We need to go, now!”

“But… what’re these guys doing here?”

“Do you really think you have time to worry about other people right now?!”

“Kind of!” snapped Chiyo. “Shouldn’t we try to-”

“They’re not even-”

“There they are!”

The drawbridge lowered, revealing one of Kamoshida’s guards. Chiyo sighed somewhat irritably as her clothes changed once again. “Guess we don’t have much of a choice.”

“At least you know when to stick to your guns,” commented Morgana. The guard started to twitch, transforming into a tiny fairy woman in a purple dress with a pair of matching boots. “This will hardly be a fight. Your Persona has an advantage against it. But if you don’t want to use it, this Shadow isn’t that hard to take care of between the two of us.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

Chiyo readied her ribbon. She tossed it into the air and made her turns towards the fairy. She caught the ribbon and rotated her arm forward. As before, the circle generated enough energy that beat into the fairy twice. As she made her tight turns back, Morgana launched himself into a follow-up attack. With his curved sword, the cat-creature struck the fairy again. It fell immediately after.

As the tend dictated, when the danger was gone, Chiyo’s uniform returned once again. “Okay, let’s go,” Morgana ordered, putting away his curved sword. “You should be able to get out soon.”

“Hold on,” Sakamoto called having stayed away from the danger by the jail cell. “We can’t just leave this guy here!”

Chiyo bit her knuckle, eyeing the fallen boy. Shouldn’t they try to help him out? If he couldn’t walk, then between the two of them Chiyo and Sakamoto should have been able to help usher him out. Morgana, however, scoffed, “You really don’t get it, do you?”

“You’re not really explaining all that much,” Chiyo argued. “I still don’t get what that whole magical girl transformation is about.”

Pausing for a moment, Morgana mulled over Chiyo’s words before he yelled out in frustration. “There’s no time to explain! I’m going. If you want to come too, you’re more than welcome.”

“Fine,” spat Sakamoto, “I’m coming!”

Across the drawbridge, Morgana lead the two up a flight of stairs that, in turn, lead to the foyer Chiyo and Ryuji had originally come in through when this madness started. They ran straight across the foyer, down a hall that wasn’t nearly as long as the wing they had just came from. “In here!” Morgana shouted, running into a room on the left-hand side.

Sakamoto breathed out, “Finally!”

The room through the door looked like an old storage room. Several bookshelves lined the back of the room, each one only carried a few books. A table sat in the middle of the room; the only light came from the torches on the wall. Above the bookshelves was a ventilation shaft with a wiry mesh closing it off. “Through there?” asked Chiyo. It certainly looked large enough for them to crawl through.

“Yup!” Morgana nodded. “It’ll lead you right outside.”

“Kay,” Sakamoto said, rotating his shoulders. “Just gotta get that mesh off.”

With a running start, Sakamoto climbed up the bookshelf, safely pulling himself up. He grabbed ahold of the mesh and yanked it off. Unfortunately, it was heavier than either one of them could have guessed. He overbalanced and ended up toppling head over heels off the shelf with the mesh still in his hands. “You alright?!” Chiyo asked, suddenly cold with panic.

Ryuji landed against the side of the bookshelf, legs in the air. Thankfully, the mesh hadn’t landed on him. He rolled himself over onto his knees. “Oww… yeah,” he groaned, dusting himself off. “The enemy didn’t hear us, did they?”

Chiyo list her head to the side. “Hard to say, but I’d say it’s foolish to think otherwise.”

“Four Eyes is right,” said Morgana. “You should get going now.”

“But… what about you?” asked Sakamoto.

“There’s something that I still have to do. We’re going our separate ways from here.”

“Thank you very much,” Chiyo said, lowering herself into a bow. “Don’t get caught again.”

Morgana’s tail stiffened, his eyes wandered off to the side poutily. “And here I was about to say that someone had manners. But after that, I don’t think I’m gonna.”

“I’m just saying…”

Morgana moaned, looking bashful all the while, “Just go! Between the three of us, I’m the small one, I’m the one who’s harder to catch.”

Shrugging, Chiyo followed Sakamoto’s example and got a running start. Morgana watched silently as the school kids disappeared into the air vent. “Those two seem useful…” he said to himself.

###### 

They did not stop running until they spotted a line of department stores. Pulling to a stop, Sakamoto ended up bent over double in his attempt to catch his breath. Chiyo scrutinized the area, people were going on around them as though nothing strange was going on in their own lives. _“You have returned to the real world,”_ said a mechanical voice, as feminine as a phone app can be, came from Chiyo’s pocket. She pulled out her phone as it finished the message with, _“Welcome back.”_

Chiyo’s brow arched; she echoed “’Real world?’”

“So we made it out, then?” Sakamoto asked, standing back up straight.

“I… think so?”

“What was all that anyway? That castle and Kamoshida a-and that weird cat!”

“I don’t know.” Chiyo shook her head, sliding her phone back into her pocket. “Morgana sounded like he had answers for us, but decided it was easier to keep us mostly in the dark.

Sakamoto’s head tilted back, unsatisfied with Chiyo’s attempt at an answer. “The hell happened back there?!”

“What’s with the yelling? You two Shujin students?”

Chiyo whirled around to find a couple of police officers making their way towards them. Her gazed immediately fell to the floor, allowing the shy girl to take over again as her pulse began to quicken. “Cutting classes, are we?” asked one of the officers.

She saw herself, hands handcuffed behind her back as she was tossed into the back seat of the cop car. She tried one last time to explain what really happened. But they closed the door before she could say anything. Then they started shaking hands with that man.

“N-No, sir,” Chiyo said quietly. Her hands were wrapped around the bags of her strap so tight her knuckles turned white. “W-We just… um…”

It was only now dawning upon Chiyo that she and Sakamoto were stupidly late for school. Granted, trying to get out of that mess alive was Chiyo’s top priority. But now that the danger had passed… There was no way she could explain what happened without coming across as making up some fantastical half-baked story. “No!” Sakamoto snapped, his voice cracking slightly again. “We were tryin’ to get to school, and we ended up at this weird castle!”

_‘Sakamoto-kun…’_ Chiyo thought ruefully as she lowered her head farther down. He had to realize how incredulous it sounded.

The officers exchanged looks with each other before they eyed Chiyo and Sakamoto again. One of them extended his hand to Sakamoto. “Hand over your bag,” the officer ordered. “You better not be doing any drugs.”

“Why would you think that?!” shot back Sakamoto.

The second officer glanced straight at Chiyo. He must have noticed how uncomfortable and frightened Chiyo was behaving as he had taken a far kinder tone with her. At least compared to his co-worker. “Are you his friend?” he asked politely.

“S-Something like that,” Chiyo mumbled a reply.

Slack-jawed Sakamoto stared at Chiyo. Her shoulders were hunched, making herself seem small. Her hands were held together by the strap of her bag. And her gaze was held to the ground while her eyes were wide, silently pleading for the officers to just turn around and forget about them. And just like that, Chiyo was a different person again.

“Look,” the first, more aggressive officer spoke up. “If you spout any more nonsense, I’ll contact your school. Now, turn around and get to class.”

“Y-Yes sir,” Chiyo said quietly. She tugged at Sakamoto’s sleeve, gesturing for him to follow her. “C-Come on… We don’t want to be later…”

Sakamoto’s gaze traveled from the officers, back to Chiyo as she forced him to follow her. Wasn’t this the same girl who spat in Kamoshida’s face and called him a shithead? The contrast between that girl, and this girl right in front of him was… kind of jarring, to say the least.

###### 

Kodaira sat at his desk in contemplation. His hands were perched together as he pondered the recent events following, yet another, subway accident earlier this morning. “A Minister of Transport announcing his resignation,” he muttered. A smile tugged on his lips as he chuckled to himself, “Things are going as planned...”

###### 

“Is this for real?” questioned Sakamoto

Going back down the same path they originally took brought them to Shujin Academy. The very same blocky school they were originally trying to get to in the first place. There was no sign of the castle or any sign of the creatures inside it.

Sakamoto glanced back over his shoulder. “I’m sure we came the same way… What’s goin’ on here…?”

“That’s exactly what I wanted to ask you,” a man said, striding down the stairway leading from the door. The man was trying to present himself as mature and professional, a prime example of adulthood to the students in the school. His furrowed brow, however, simply highlighted the age lines upon his face. “We received a call from the police.”

Instantly, Sakamoto glanced down at the ground, kicking at a pebble in front of him. “Damn cops snitched on us after all.”

“It’s rare not to see you alone, Sakamoto-kun,” the counselor said snidely. He eyed Chiyo and sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Couldn’t you have found a girlfriend who can actually keep you in line?”

Chiyo lowered her head; her blood steadily began to turn hot. So much for the air of maturity the man was trying to present himself as. “We ain’t datin’!” Sakamoto snapped, just as enraged by the comment as Chiyo.

The man crossed his arms over his chest. “Then would you mind telling me where you two were roaming around this whole time?”

“Uh… a ca- a castle?” Sakamoto offered, finally realizing how it sounded.

The counselor cocked a brow, eyeing Sakamoto wearily. His gaze traveled to Chiyo, his expression morphed from confusion to disdain. He stared at Chiyo like she was some unsavory insect that needed to be disposed of. “Is that what the kids are calling love hotels these days?”

Chiyo’s hands were beginning to shake. She kept her gaze downward out of fear she wouldn’t be able to control herself if she looked up at him. _‘Ass. Ass. Ass!’_

“No!” Sakamoto’s voice broke again, his face flushed. “A castle, castle! Y’know the kind straight outta a-”

“What’s this about a castle?” asked a new voice.

A new voice that was kind of familiar.

A tall, athletic man approached the counselor. As opposed to the Speedo the tens had last seen him in, he was wearing a white t-shirt and track pants. “Kamoshida?!” Sakamoto jumped back.

“You seem so carefree, Sakamoto,” Kamoshida said, taking an entirely different tone than he had at the castle. In the castle there was a haughty undertone, Kamoshida sounded kind of friendly now. “Quite a difference from when you did morning practice for the track team.”

“Shuddup!” Sakamoto rose his voice, really rose his voice. Chiyo’s heart nearly leaped out of her chest he startled her. “It’s your fault that-”

“How dare you speak that way to Kamoshida-sensei!” the counselor snapped back. “There’s not much leeway left for your, you know?”

“He’s the one provokin’ me!”

“Do you really want to be expelled so badly?!” The counselor exhaled and gestured over his shoulder. “In any case, you still have to explain yourself. Follow me.”

“What?! This is bullshit!”

“Come now,” Kamoshida said jovially as he turned to his coworker. “I should have been more considerate, too. Let’s just say that we were both to blame.”

“Well...” The counselor crossed his arm again in contemplation. “If you say so.” He glanced back at Sakamoto. “Still, you’re coming with me. It’s undeniable that you’re extremely late.”

“Fine,” murmured Sakamoto.

Kamoshia’s gaze fell upon Chiyo, who was biting on her knuckle, the wheels in her head turning as she turned her gaze from Sakamoto to the teachers when they each spoke as though she were watching a tennis match play out. “You’re that new transfer student, yes?” he asked at length. “Chiyo Kusakabe?”

“Y-yes,” Chiyo said meekly.

“Let’s go, Sakamoto,” the counselor ordered.

“Yeah, yeah, I’m comin’.”

Sakamoto shoved his hands in his pockets and traveled upstairs after the counselor. When he crossed paths with Kamoshida, he delivered one of the harshest glares he could manage. Making his piece, he continued after the counselor.

Left alone with Kamoshida, Chiyo simply stared at him for a moment. Her hands were once again holding the front straps of her bag. Her first thought when she saw Kamoshida as he was now, was that this couldn’t possibly be the same man from the castle. But he was trying to bait Sakamoto in the most passive-aggressive way possible. Even if they were different men, the cloth they were cut from was not that different.

Chiyo kept her head down and face placid as she tried to sink back into the invisible girl. The quiet, unassuming girl. The easy to overlook girl who wasn’t suddenly feeling so intensely.

Kamoshida now understood what Kawakami meant about Kusakabe not looking the part of the criminal. But damn did she have some shapely legs. Wasn’t she a dancer or something like that in her hometown? The rest of her had to be as shapely as those legs to match.

But why did she look so familiar? “Have we met somewhere?” he asked at length

“Th-This morning,” Chiyo stammered, avoiding eye contact with him.

“Hm? Oh right! At the station.” Kamoshida crossed his arms and list his head slightly, keeping his eyes on Chiyo. “Well… I’ll overlook this just for today. I’m sure you’ve heard from the principal, but if you cause any trouble, you’re expelled. Understand?”

“Y-Yes...”

“At any rate, hurry up and go to the faculty office. I’m sure Kawakame-sensei’s tired of waiting.”

Not wasting any time, Chiyo trotted upstairs. Whether she wanted to or not, she was going to have to put everything that happened this morning behind her for a few hours. Chiyo wasn’t sure what she could expect as soon as she stepped inside. It was downright naive to think this little stunt would go untalked about. Likewise, it would have been just as naive to think there wouldn’t be any whispers about her arrest charges and alleged sex life before the year was out.

She may as well be diving head-first into a tank of sharks.

###### 

_“The school… turned into an old castle?” Niijima asked incredulously. “And there was a talking cat?”_

_Chiyo sighed. “I told you it was outrageous.”_

_“I’d say it’s more than just ‘outrageous.’ Are you sure you’re not hallucinating from the drugs?”_

_“I’m sure I’m not.”_

_“I won’t put up with you if you’re simply joking around.”_

_“For fucks sake, can you please tell me what I could accomplish from joking around?” Chiyo asked through clenched teeth and trembling fists. “As unbelievable as it sounds, I know full well what’s at stake here. No matter what happens in my story, I’m locked away at best, killed at worst. I get nothing beyond wasting time. But you seem to think you’ll solve this case with or without my testimony. So, who’s the one wasting time, here?”_

_Niijima had her arms crossed over her chest as the pair exchanged identical looks. After a moment of silence, the elder of the two uncoiled one arm to peek at her wristwatch. “Since you’re able to talk back with no problems, I’m going to have you continue the story,” Niijima said at length._

_Chiyo raised an eyebrow. “Changing the subject?”_

_Seemingly ignoring her question, Niijima readied one of several case files. “The one who first received a ‘calling card’ from the Phantom Thieves was an Olympic medalist,” Niijima continued. She laid out one of the calling cards in question, and a single photograph. “An alumnus from Shujin Academy – the PE teacher, Suguru Kamoshida.”_

_Chiyo’s brow twitched. “It’s true what he did were deplorable crimes for...” Niijima paused for a moment. “Indulging his desire.”_

_‘Indulging his desire.’ The word repeated themselves over and over in her head. In her mind's eye, Chiyo saw a girl laying broken on the ground. She saw Kamoshida grinning to himself in a self-congratulatory fashion while Chiyo felt rage boiling within her with each word he said. She saw a boy in her class, visibly beaten up and depressed. She saw a girl from her class, kneeling on the floor, hugging her knees close to her._

_“You saw his case file,” Chiyo said through her teeth. “You heard about his confession. You should fucking know why he was targeted already!”_

_Niijima shot up onto her feet, slamming her hands on the table. “I want to hear it from you!”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I always knew the Persona awakening was going to be a turning point in Chiyo… To a degree. Generally, we don’t have one moment of empowerment and suddenly our troubles and anxieties are gone. But it is a good stepping stone. 
> 
> It took me a bit of time to come up with Chiyo’s look as Joker. I went back and forth a few times on a couple of details. I wanted something that made her look both classy, but I also wanted her to have elements of a dancer’s costume. But at the same time I wanted her to have something that was unique to her her while still being Joker-esque. So I kept the three more iconic parts of the Joker outfit, the gloves, the mask, and the coat and then things started to come together. The result, in my head, looks like a fusion between Joker and Violet. Which works out okay enough between Chiyo being into rhythmic gymnastics too and the plans I have for Violet.
> 
> Female Arsène ended up taking bit of influence from Carmen Sandiego, especially the hat. Arsene’s coat is a bit more fanciful then Carmen’s tends to be. If I were to give a female Arsène her own name, I’d name her after Josephine Balsamo, the Countess Cagliostro, from the Arsène canon. She’s closer to who people think Irene Adler is then who Irene actually is. By which I mean Josephine and Lupin were actually lovers once, and she was actually his adversary.


	6. Chapter Five

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **TRIGGER WARNING: Grown man oogaling/fantasizing about an underaged girl and sexual harassment**

**Chapter Five  
The Shark Tank**

###### 

**_Monday, April 11th_ **

###### 

As soon as Chiyo set foot into the school she saw two things, students dressed in identical uniforms of back blazers and black and red pleated skirts and trousers, and eyes staring at her.

“Is that her?”

“Has to be, she’s late. The police probably caught her skipping.”

“Drinking, smoking, theft, sex work, I heard that girl’s done it all.

“They said she pulled a knife on her would-be client. All he did was try to help her turn her life around.”

“I heard she just straight up killed the guy for that.”

“No way! The school wouldn’t let a murder in so casually!”

“Kusakabe-san?”

Chiyo’s heart nearly leaped out of her throat as a third-year student approached her. Her brown hair was done in a blunt bob with matching blunt bangs. Her russet eyes aided in making her look fierce. She had on a black halter vest over a white turtleneck that was not issued with the uniform. But she did wear the skirt. “Y-Yes?” Chiyo asked meekly.

“I’m Makoto Niijima, student council president at Shujin Academy,” the girl said gesturing to herself. She was student council president? Then why was she getting away with altering the uniform like this? “I was _initially_ asked to help you find your way around the school if you needed it. But now I’ve been tasked with leading you straight to the faculty office. Do you have any idea how late you are?”

“Yes.”

“I’m giving you a fair warning now; if this becomes a regular thing, you’ll be expelled before you know it.”

Niijima gestured for Chiyo to follow her. More whispers and stares followed them, or rather Chiyo, upstairs to the second floor. Keeping up with appearances, Chiyo hunched her shoulders, holding onto her bag like it were a lifeline, and kept her eyes on Niijima’s back.

The pair walked into the faculty office before too long, Chiyo let out a sigh through her nose. She wondered if Kawakami had a full speech prepared for her. Inside, Chiyo spotted several members of students and staff doing their own thing. Kawakami was at a laptop in her designated area, engrossed in her task until Niijima cleared her throat, making the pair’s presence known. “Kawakami-sensei,” Niijima spoke up. “Kusakabe-san has finally arrived.”

Kawakami glanced up, slowly her brow furrowed slightly. “Thank you, Niijima-san,” Kawakami stood up, “you may go.”

Niijima lowered her head ever so slightly before she turned on her heel and walked out of the office, leaving Chiyo with Kawakami. “Unbelievable,” her teacher said through a heavy sigh. “Being over half a day late on your first day? Can you explain yourself?”

Why should she bother? Even if Chiyo did have a far more believable story, odds were Kawakami wouldn’t accept it. Why did adults ask for an explanation or your thoughts on something if they weren’t going to consider it? “I-I got lost,” Chiyo said meekly.

“How could you have been lost for this long? It’s almost lunchtime!” Kawakami paused for a moment, shifting her weight onto one leg in thought. “Well, it’s probably true that you’re not used to the area yet… but you’re still way too late. You could have easily called the school or Sakura-san. This better not be a regular thing from you, you were given a fair warning yesterday. More importantly… I heard you were caught along with that Sakamoto-kun.”

“’That’ Sakamoto?”

“Don’t get involved with him, okay?” Kawakami said plainly as if that alone should explain everything. “He’s nothing but trouble and you’re already on thin ice. Anyway, break’s almost over. Classes will end after fifth period today because of the subway accident. I’ll have you introduce yourself when class resumes.”

Chiyo nodded before Kawakami stood up. She followed her out of the room and down the hall. “By the way,” Kawakami said as they walked, “when you introduce yourself… Be serious about it even if you’re lying to the class, okay. Don’t say...” she paused briefly, twirling her hand in small circles like she was trying to weave the words together. “Don’t say anything unnecessary.”

 _‘Don’t say anything about your ‘clients,’’_ Chiyo thought snidely. As if she was too stupid to figure it out on her own.

“I won’t,” she murmured aloud.

###### 

“Being super late on her first day? She really is insane...”

“She looks normal enough though.”

“Idiot, that’s how you lure someone into a false sense of security. She’ll probably slug you if you look her in the eye the wrong way.”

“Settle down please,” Kawakami said, silencing the chatter amongst the class. She gestured to Chiyo at her side. “I’d like to introduce a transfer student; Chiyo Kusakabe. Today, we… had her attend class from the afternoon on since she wasn’t feeling well this morning.”

“Does Kawakami really think we buy that? Everyone says she came to school with Sakamoto.”

“Wait, so _Sakamoto_ of all people scored?!”

“She doesn’t have standards, then?”

“Alright, settle down,” Kawakami said. She turned her gaze to Chiyo. “Please say something to the class.”

“I-I’m Chiyo Kusakabe.” She lowered herself into a respectful bow. “N-N-Nice to meet you.”

“She does compensated dating?”

“It’s an act. Probably a ploy to draw in clients and the like. I hear some older men are into that sort of thing.”

“Think that’s how she lured in the sap she attacked?”

“Probably.”

Sighing, Kawakami pinched the bridge of her nose. “So… Your seat will be….” She glanced towards the only empty seat in the room by the window. “Over there. The one that’s open. Sorry, but can the people nearby please share your textbooks with Kusakabe-san for today?”

Obediently, Chiyo lowered her head and headed towards the open seat. Her eyes traveled off the floor, just for a moment when she spotted the very same blonde girl with the heavily altered uniform from the station that morning. “What a load...” she whispered under her breath.

“Huh?”

The girl’s blue eyes met with Chiyo’s gray ones. The girl’s brow furrowed slightly before she snapped her head forward.

Shaking her head, Chiyo dropped her bag beside the desk and took her seat. The girl seated at her right turned around in her seat to speak with her friend. “Did you catch that? Do those two know each other?”

“Don’t girls like that tend to stick together? Takamaki-san’s probably trying to get Kusakabe-san to show her her clientele.”

“That means she’s cheating on Kamoshida-sensei! Well, then again, this is Takamaki-san we’re talking about...”

“For real. That side of the room is totally awful.”

As though it were her second nature, Takamaki turned her gaze to the gossiping girls. One of them gasped when they realized she was watching them and instantly looked down at her desk.

“Remember the volleyball rally’s in two days,” announced Kawakami. “Everyone's just changed classes, so make sure you use that time to get to know each other. Now let’s get started. Who’s on duty today?”

A boy, lacking the blazer, but otherwise still wearing the proper uniform, stood up. He looked a little ill himself as he spoke, “Everyone, please rise...”

###### 

After class let out for the day, Chiyo shrugged her bag over her shoulder and readjusted her glasses despite there being no need for it. She walked out of the classroom, rubbing one eye under her glasses. In her mind’s eye, the hall morphed into a stone hallway with lush carpeting. Panicking slightly, Chiyo almost yanked her glasses off. “Is something wrong?” she heard.

Whirling around, Chiyo found Kawakami standing behind her, just outside the doorway to the classroom. “We’re still at school, right?” Chiyo asked breaking character.

Kawakami eyed her with mild concern. “Are you sure you’re okay?” She shook her head. “Regardless, it seems like people are already talking about you. I suppose I can’t say I’m necessarily surprised, but I wouldn’t have expected it to spread to the first and third years this soon.” The older woman groaned, pinching the bridge of her nose. “I can’t even catch a break… Why do I have to deal with this?”

_‘Yeah, who cares about the subject of these rumors?’_

“Anyway,” Kawakami said through a sigh, “you should head straight home without stopping by anywhere. Sakura-san sounded pretty angry. And about Sakamoto-kun, don’t get involved-”

Chiyo wanted to argue, not only that Kawakami had already told her the same thing before, but she never gave Chiyo any explanations of why Sakamoto was a trouble maker to be avoided. But before Chiyo could ask anything, Sakamoto walked up to the pair. “Speak of the devil,” muttered Kawakami. “What do you want? I heard the police caught you cutting classes. And I see you haven’t dyed your hair back to black either…”

“Sorry ‘bout that,” Sakamoto said coldly. He moved towards Chiyo, saying just loud enough for her to hear, “I’ll be waitin’ on the rooftop.”

Sakamoto walked off towards the stairs leading to the third floor before Kawakami could grill him any further. “See?” she asked, stealing back Chiyo’s attention. “That’s why I don’t want you getting involved. Understood?”

_‘Not really...’_

“Just… come to class and stay out of trouble… And it’d do you well to dye your hair back to its original color, too.”

Kawakami headed off towards the faculty office. No sooner had she disappeared, Kamoshida and Kobyakawa walked up from the stairway. “Why did you allow a student like that to transfer here?” Kamoshida asked. “She’s already started associating with Sakamoto. A student with a criminal record, a culprit in an assault case, no less, and with an unsavory history of dating! At this rate, it’d be pointless how much I contribute to the school.”

“Now, don’t be like that,” Kobyakawa said sympathetically. “This school counts on you, Kamoshida-kun. You are our star, after all. Still, a steady build-up is necessary behind such brilliance as well.”

“Your troubles never seem to end, do they, Principal Kobayakawa? All right, I understand. I’ll continue to do my best to answer your expectations of me.”

And here Chiyo thought these sort of conversations should be held in private.

Circling around once, Chiyo spotted a familiar face from class, the boy who wore his uniform without the blazer. His hair was a short, spiky blue-black color. Chiyo thought he looked ill in class, but it was more like he looked downright miserable. There were a few green splotches and purple splotches on his arms and exposed neck, and a few scratches on his face. Chiyo second-guessed approaching him, but he was the only one who wasn’t looking away whenever she looked in their direction. “Excuse me,” Chiyo said, walking up to him.

He looked up, his eyes retracted slightly as soon as he spotted Chiyo. Immediately, he forced his gaze away from here. “I-Is there something you want from me?” he asked, his voice quavering.

“I was… just wondering if you could tell me where the rooftop is?”

Visible relief washed over his face. What, was he expecting Chiyo to just randomly beat the tar out of him? “Oh...that’s all?” he asked. “Just keep going upstairs until you find the storage room.”

“All right, thank you.”

She waved goodbye before she headed upstairs. Heading to the third floor, Chiyo found more eyes following her as she walked by. For some reason, she was surprised to find the first-years weary of her. She did her best to ignore the whispers and stares, opting to keep her eyes open and find the storage room. Until she felt something on her backside, below her waist. Something that felt strangely like a hand.

Breath caught in her throat, Chiyo whipped around just in time to see a boy receiving high-gives and claps on the back from his friends. Even congratulating him. One of the boys spotted Chiyo staring at him. She didn’t hear what he said to his friends, but the group turned and noticed. They had the audacity to start tripping over themselves in an attempt to run.

Head down, she continued on to the storage room.

_“Did you just-?!”_

_“I’m just playing. Relax.”_

Chiyo stood in the middle of the storage room, she pressed a balled hand against her forehead, repeatedly telling herself not to cry. She was tired of it, plain and simple. She was tired of crying, tired of the stinging in her eyes, tried of salt. She bit her lower lip, suddenly wondering if Sakamoto was aiming to see how true the rumors were. Was he any different than that boy who just grabbed her ass?

She shook her head when she realized she was worrying over nothing. Sakamoto tried to help her when the other Kamoshida was looking at her after all.

Pulling the door open, Chiyo spotted a few desks and a couple of chairs littered across the area. On one of the desks, several potted saplings were placed, getting just enough sun. Sakamoto sat at an empty desk, leaning back in one of the seats. “There you are,” Sakamoto said in greeting. “Sorry for callin’ you up like this. I bet Kawakami already told you stuff like ‘don’t get involved with him,’ huh?”

“Well, she’s a little late on that front,” said Chiyo. “So it doesn’t really matter what she says.”

Sakamoto chuckled to himself. “Well, I guess we really are in the same boat after all.”

“Hm?”

“I heard you got a criminal record. Everyone’s talking about your assault charge and… er… the compensated dating. And the, em… alternative...” Quickly, Sakamoto held his hands up. “I ain’t judging.”

Scoffing, Chiyo took a seat at the edge of one of the desks and crossed her arms over her chest. “Though, some of them rumors might’ve explained why you got so gutsy,” added Sakamoto.

Gutsy? Well, if that wasn’t a first. “In all seriousness though,” Chiyo lowered her arms, “you wanted to talk about what happened, right?”

“You sayin’ you don’t?” Sakamoto leaned forward in his chair. “I mean, what was all that? We could’ve died in that castle...”

“Several different ways.”

“Yeah...” He tilted his head back to think. “You really saved me from Kamoshida. So yeah… Thanks, Chiyo”

Chiyo’s face suddenly flushed, a little overwhelmed by Ryuji’s gratitude and being referred to by name at the same time. Doing a good deed without it blowing up in her face, or at least the damage was not nearly as bad as the last time Chiyo did the right thing, it brought along the warm butterflies in her stomach. “You’re welcome…. R-Ryuji.”

Ryuji’s shoulders shook as he let out a brief chuckle. His eyes traveled to the side for a moment. “But man, that Kamoshida we saw there…” He looked back at Chiyo. “Back there he called himself the king of the castle, but it really doesn’t feel that far from the truth out here. I wonder if we can go back to that castle again…”

Chiyo couldn’t help the chuckle that escaped her lips. “You admitted that we almost died in that castle, yet you want to go back?” she asked teasingly.

A look Chiyo could not name flashed in Ryuji’s eyes for a moment before he stood up. “Y’know, you’re right. All that had to be a dream. Those monsters, a talkin' cat, that thing that showed up for you. What was I thinkin’, right?”

Reaching down to his right, Ryuji grabbed his bag. “Sorry to drag you out here like this.” He placed both arms through a loop each before shrugging the bag on his back. “That’s all I had to say. You know, we might be pretty similar.”

“You’ve been arrested and accused of compensated dating and prostitution?” Chiyo asked jokily. But as soon as the words left her mouth, her heart sank. Maybe she shouldn’t be associating with Ryuji. Not because of what he could to do her, but what she could do to him. There were already a few whispers about the two of them thanks to this morning's circumstances. Maybe it was a good thing her history got out as fast as it did. If she made any friends here she may end up ruining their reputations by association.

“Not quite,” Ryuji shrugged, “I just feel like we’re gonna get along just fine as ‘troublemakers.’”

No, no, no, no! She didn’t want to drag Ryuji into her mess. “A-are you sure that’s a good idea?” she asked. “I mean if you hang around with me…”

Ryuji stared at her for a moment before a look of realization formed on his face. “It’s not like I’ve never been the subject of rumors before,” he said. “I stopped lettin’ it bother me a while ago.”

“But… this?”

“Well, no… But who cares? We know what’s goin’ on, right?”

Chiyo’s mouth dropped open for a moment. “I-I guess, but…”

“Then we shouldn’t have a problem. I’ll come talk if I see you around. So don’t ignore me, all right? Name’s Ryuji Sakamoto.”

“Chiyo Kusakabe…”

###### 

Suguru Kamoshida could understand what Kobayakawa was saying. ‘Shujin took in the violent whore.’ ‘Shujin helped this girl turn her life around.’ ‘Isn’t Shujin Academy great?’ But it was the principal of the thing. Kamoshida’s volleyball team was doing loads for the school’s image already, and that had one of those Yoshizawa girl’s now. Admitting a known criminal, a known whore into their school… Well, when she decided to cause trouble Kobayakawa better not be surprised.

Surely the principal should have been doing his job long enough to know trouble was trouble no matter if the source was boy or girl.

Of course, that wasn’t to say Kusakabe was difficult on the eyes. She was no Takamaki, but for a run of the mill Japanese girl, she could have looked blander.

Kamoshida drummed his fingers on his work desk boredly. The student body was exploding with rumors surrounding the girl. The basics were all there, her attack on the man and the exposure of her dating history, her bed history. But there were a few things the student body either didn’t know or cared to know that he did.

Kusakabe was said to be a skilled gymnast, not unlike that Yoshizawa girl.

At least Kusakabe wasn’t as batshit as Yoshizawa…

Or at least, maybe was batshit in all the _right_ ways.

Booting up his laptop, Kamoshida clicked on his go-to search engine. He typed in ‘chiyo kusakabe gymnastics’ and clicked search. The first video Kamoshida pulled up was uploaded about two years ago. As Kawakami suspected, Kusakabe colored her hair, her original color was closer to Kawakami’s.

In the video, Kusakabe wore one of those tiny, form-fitting leotards with blue sequins down the front in the style of blue fire. The leotard had a small skirt that barely covered her thighs. The backside of the outfit was made of a nude-colored material decorated with rhinestones. Her hair was out of her face and she wasn’t wearing those nerd glasses she had on today, allowing Kamoshida to imagine what she looked like without them today.

The video went on, showing off Kusakabe’s prowess, Kamoshida was unable to look away. Watching Kusakabe fold her body in ways even Takamaki couldn’t pull off. And… God, fuck those legs! Long compared to Kusakabe’s torso, but they had to firm, they certainly looked shapely. And that ass…!

The aching yearns that were plaguing him for the last several days now were getting unbearable. Damn it, Takamaki!

In the video, Kusakabe leaped into the air, performing a perfect split in the jump. Fuck, fuck, fuck…

And then Kamoshida thought about the men Kusakabe must have fucked… _God!_

###### 

Chiyo felt like a normal kid on the rooftop with Ryuji. It amazed her how fast that feeling was replaced with dread as soon as she began to make her journey back to Leblanc. She did not doubt that Sojiro had a lecture rehearsed for her. There wasn’t any way Chiyo could explain herself, not without sounding insane anyway.

If she acted like the innocent school girl at Shujin, should she just act like the delinquent Sojiro was expecting? But then again, if Chiyo took that act too far she wouldn’t put it past Sojiro to kick her out.

The most Chiyo could hope for was a bit of business in the shop by the time she got back. Then maybe Sojiro would put off the lecture for an hour or so. That was far from the case when she arrived back at Leblanc. “I got an interesting call from your school today,” Sojiro said as soon as Chiyo walked through the door. “It’s only your first day and you’re already showing up hours late?”

Fuck…

“It was an accident,” Chiyo muttered.

“You accidentally didn’t show up for most of the day? You asked me what you should do if you got lost on the train.”

“Because it really was an accident.”

“Look, just behave yourself tomorrow. Your life’s forfeit if anything else happens You understand the meaning of probation, right?”

“Noooo!” Chiyo replied flippantly, making exaggerated hand gestures. “I only heard it like fifteen fucking times. Explain it to me again, maybe it’ll stick on the sixteenth time.”

_Shit, that actually came out of her mouth…_

A week ago, Chiyo would have flinched at the dangerous glare Sojiro gave her, at his strong stance with his arms crossed over his chest. A week ago, Chiyo would have kept her mouth shut and let the adults say whatever. But goddamn it, she was tired of it. Tired of the tears, tired of being silent while adults hurled verbal abuses at her.

So Chiyo matched his glare, matched his stance. She was only going to take so much. “Your parents may have appreciated that mouth, but I don’t,” Sojiro said firmly, there was a deep timber underlaid in his tone. She pushed a button, good. Maybe Chiyo felt like pushing more buttons. “I also don’t appreciate that language, especially in the store.”

It was laughable. Sojiro didn’t appreciate her mouth? Didn’t appreciate her language? Well, there was a lot Chiyo didn’t appreciate, yet she was expected to just suck it up. And Sojiro had done nothing but berate Chiyo since she got here. Who cared if she cursed? Truth be told, Chiyo thought it was the least she was owed.

The sudden bout of mechanical ringing snapped Chiyo out of her doldrums. Just like that, the matter was abruptly dropped when Sojiro fished out his phone. “Hey, what’s up? …Yeah, just closed up shop. I’ll be there in an hour.” Sojiro lowered the phone and placed a hand on the mouthpiece. “You hear that? If you need to use the bathhouse, I’d get a move on if I were you.”

Instantly, Chiyo raced upstairs and came back down moments later with her bag discarded and replaced with a towel and her wallet. Normally, Chiyo loved a good soak after a long day, and a day like this would have certainly warranted it. But given the time limit, Chiyo thought she made an impressive, personal record for the quickest bath. By the time Chiyo returned to Leblanc, Sojiro had just finished cleaning dishes. “Want me to flip the sign?” Chiyo asked as she walked through the door.

“Since you’re there.”

Chiyo flipped the sign around to ‘CLOSED’ and crossed paths with Sojiro on her way back upstairs. She had just gotten her sleep shirt off when she heard the tinkle of the doorbell. Once again, she was on her own in the attic.

She changed into her pajamas and ate a couple of energy bars as she wrote her first entry in the diary. Writing down the truth was not an option, so she wrote what she was sure Sojiro and the officials were expecting. That she cut half the day of school, doing what she could to avoid getting caught. And then she was. A cut and dry situation.

When she finished the entry, Chiyo closed the book lazily. She put it beside her cookie tin and laid down on the mattress. Initially, she was fully expecting another uncomfortable last night, alone in the silence. But as soon as she laid back down, Chiyo found herself relaxing and exhaustion seeped in. If it meant Chiyo got to doze off faster and not dwell on the lonely silence she would take the chaos of this morning as a blessing in disguise.

###### 

_Drip… Drip… Drip…_

When Chiyo opened her eyes, she was met with a blue ceiling. Turning her head, she found herself in the very same cell she was in the other night. Sitting up, Chiyo swung her legs over, feeling the manacle attached to her ankle instantly. “Ten-tion!” Henry shouted from the other side of the bars. His arms were held behind his back, which was straight as a board, glaring at Chiyo. “Finally decided to join us, have you? On your feet! The Master wants a word with you. Open your ears and pay attention, Maggot!”

Biting back a curse, Chiyo stood up, her hands weight down by her manacles as she walked to the bars. In the center of the room, Igor sat behind his desk. “First off, let us celebrate our reunion,” Igor said in greeting. Steepling his fingers, the ever-present smile on his face twitched slightly. “And it seems you’ve awakened to your powers, special ones at that. Your rehabilitation can finally begin.”

“What exactly do you mean by ‘my powers?’” asked Chiyo.

“There is no need to understand it all for the time being. For now, focus on training the power of Persona, which you have awakened to. Personas are, in other words, a ‘mask’ - an armor of the heart when confronting worldly matters. I have high expectations for you.”

“If that’s the case, why exactly can’t I understand it all now? You’re just saying words and I don’t know what to make of them.”

Igor chuckled briefly. “You will learn when the time comes,” he said, causing Chiyo’s shoulders to sag. “By the by… have you come to appreciate the Metaverse Navigator? Using it will allow you to come and go between reality and Palaces.”

“Metaverse… Navigator…?” Chiyo repeated stiltedly. Her brow furrowed as she thought. “Wait, you mean that app I can’t get rid of?!”

“The very same. I bestowed it to you as a means to train you as a thief.”

“I thought it was a virus!”

Without warning, Henry’s baton slammed against the bars, hitting Chiyo’s knuckles. “The Metaverse Navigator is a gift from the Master, Maggot!” he snapped. “You do know the meaning of ‘gratitude,’ don’t you?” Chiyo had taken a step back when the baton hit her hand, trying to soothe the pain, she shot a defiant glare at the boy. “Devote your training from here on out. Do that, and you may become a decent thief.”

Chiyo list her head to the side. Now she was supposed to be a thief? What happened to her rehabilitation? “It must be disheartening,” Igor spoke, “to make use of the Metaverse Navigator alone. Should there be others who would prove beneficial to you, I will grant it to them as well. This is all for you to grow as a most excellent thief…”

Wanting to voice her confusion, Chiyo opened her mouth, but the sound of the siren cut her off before she could even ask. “Looks like it’s time,” Henry said sounding somewhat irritable for whatever reason. “Better enjoy whatever rest you might have left…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Why, yes, that Kamoshida scene did indeed make my skin crawl. And I originally conceived it to be slightly more suggestive too. Nothing graphic, but the implication would have been more blatant before the scene cut.


	7. Chapter Six

**Chapter Six  
Back to the Castle**

###### 

**_Tuesday, April 12th_ **

###### 

Chiyo started the morning by shoving an energy bar in her mouth. It was raining again like someone pressed the repeat button and Chiyo got to replay yesterday. If only. All the same, Chiyo was determined to make it to school on time.

She got dressed when she finished her energy bar and styled her hair. She left Leblanc that morning with an umbrella on her person. On the first train, Chiyo overheard various whispers about yesterday’s accident. How the conductor was at top speed, how he had a psychotic episode while working. Either way, the speeds he took endangered everyone on his train and outside of it. Chiyo wondered if it was safe for her to be taking the train to school like this before deciding it was too late to second guess herself now.

By mere happenstance than anything else, she ended up following other Shujin Academy students off the train for the lane transfer. “Look, isn’t that her?” Chiyo heard a girl in a ponytail whisper to her friend. Both girls wore the Shujin uniform, though she couldn’t tell what class they were in. “Isn’t she some kind of prodigy or something?”

“You mean that one with the red ribbon? I guess so?”

“She’s so thin… It’s not fair, I’ve got my hair in a ponytail too...”

“Okay… and what’s that got to do with being thin?”

As the train pulled up, Chiyo could hear more people approaching. She was not able to get a seat, the train was so full. She was pushed around a bit until she ended up coming face-to-face with a girl who managed to snag a seat. Their eyes met and they wore similar confused looks. The girl was wearing a Shujin uniform, with her lapel pin labeling her as a first-year. Her hair was long and dark auburn in color. A vibrant red ponytail tied it back.

This must have been the subject of those two girls gossiping earlier. Why Chiyo couldn’t say, but there was something familiar about this girl. Something about her face was familiar, but she wasn’t sure if they ever met before.

Abruptly, the girl stood up, smiling at an old woman at Chiyo’s side she hadn’t noticed. “Please, take my seat,” she said, gesturing to the blue cushioned seat in offering. “My stops coming up.”

“Are ya sure?” the old woman asked hesitantly in an Okasan accent. The girl nodded her head enthusiastically. “Then...”

The girl stepped aside, however as soon as she was out of the way, a man sat himself down before the old woman even had a chance. Brow furrowed, Chiyo gripped her bag straps. _‘Asshole...’_

“Oh wow, what speed!” the girl said in mild wonder. She shook her head slightly, causing the curled end of her ponytail to flounce. “I mean – Excuse me, sir, that seat was for this lady...”

The man’s head dipped as though he were sleeping. Transparent asshole. Chiyo envisioned herself kneeling down to the man’s ear-level and shouting into his ear canal. “Want me to ‘wake’ him?” asked Chiyo.

The girl shook her head. “It’s all right. I can understand his position as well.”

“Doesn't excuse the fact that he must have heard you offer the seat to someone else.” Chiyo dipped down so she was looking right into the man's ear. She opened her mouth and asked, loudly, “Right?!”

The man's body twitched. His shoulder shot up to his ear just as his eyes snapped open. He shot Chiyo a nasty glare. “Little bitch,” he muttered.

“Old ass.”

The girl in the ribbon chuckled awkwardly before she glanced at the old woman. “I’m sorry I couldn’t be any help.”

“It’s alright dearie,” the old woman said reassuringly. “Don’t worry.”

“Please allow me to carry your luggage at least.”

“Thank you!”

The train ride after that was less eventful. Chiyo ended up being amongst one of the first ones off the train. She readjusted her bag, held on to the straps, and made her way off the station. Until she heard someone calling for her.

“Pardon me!” Chiyo turned to find the auburn-haired girl with the red ribbon running up to her. She dipped herself briefly. “Thank you very much for your help earlier.”

“Help?” Chiyo asked. All she did was get that ass to stop pretending.

“For what you did on the train – speaking up for that older woman.” She paused for a moment to scrutinized Chiyo. “You’re a second-year at Shujin Academy, correct? I’m a first-year there myself. Thanking you totally slipped my mind back on the train, and I didn’t want to be rude to my senpai.” The girl bowed again. “Please, excuse me!”

The girl walked off ahead of Chiyo, digging around her bag for her umbrella. Unknown to Chiyo, the girl pursed her lips in thought, suddenly wondering why that particular senpai looked familiar.

###### 

Arriving at school on time today brought upon several whispers amongst Chiyo’s peers. Some were apparently betting she wouldn’t even bother to show up again. Though she couldn’t say if she was surprised, she did wonder what her teachers were thinking.

That morning she had her first social studies class with Ushimaru-sensei. Chiyo tried to pay attention to Ushimaru’s lecture, but when he went on about the rules of society, Chiyo brought her right hand under her chin and started to lean against her arm. Without realizing what she was doing, her eyes went to the window, watching the city life below as the rain continued to fall.

“Kusakabe!” barked Ushimaru.

She jumped, the side of her hand hit against the edge of her desk as she brought her arm down. “Y-Yes?” she asked bringing back the library girl.

“The Greek philosopher Plato divided the human soul into three parts. A person’s soul is composed of appetite, spirit, and what else?”

Appetite, spirit. Appetite had to relate to desires, wants, and needs. Spirit… may be related to feelings? If that were true then the last part had to tie into a person’s ability to think and learn. “Reason?” Chiyo answered tentatively.

Ushimaru’s brow rose and grunted, somewhat impressed. “That is correct. Plato’s teacher, Socrates, said that evil is born from ignorance. People who’ve been babied, taught that evil is due to individuality, can only become society’s scum.”

“Wow, she actually got it right? We’re sure she’s a delinquent?”

“I dunno. She does look and act like the type who’s serious about studying… But...”

Biting back a prideful smile, Chiyo looked down at her hands. She crossed her ankles and tucked her feet under her chair. “Alright, settle down,” Ushimaru called. “Bizarre incidents are occurring frequently these days. Those are but actions of such aforementioned scum. We don’t need crude people like that in this school. Understand?”

Ushimaru glanced at Chiyo as he spoke, causing her to look down at her hands again.

Chiyo tried to keep her head low and her eyes forward throughout the rest of the day. She sat by herself during lunch munching on a couple of energy bars. She wished she had something to read at least. Until it occurred to Chiyo that she wasn’t much of a reader before. Or, at least, she was not the kind of person who read for the pleasure of it. Without gymnastics, Chiyo was left with quite a bit of time on her hands. Should she give pleasure reading a try?

When class finally let out for the day Chiyo left her classroom rotating her shoulder. Her left shoulder popped, and not in a pleasant way. She tried to soothe the area by rubbing the discomfort away as Takamaki brisked past her. “Hey there, Takamaki,” Chiyo heard. Kamoshida appeared at the head of the stairway crossing paths with Takamaki. A little too conveniently in Chiyo’s opinion. “You looking for a ride home? Things have been pretty dangerous lately with all those accidents.”

“Sorry,” Takamaki said innocently. “I have a photoshoot today. It’s for the special summer issue, so I can’t afford to miss it...”

“Hey, now...” exhaled Kamoshida. “Being a model’s fine and dandy, but don’t work your pretty little self to the bone. You mentioned you weren’t feeling well, right? Something about appendicitis?”

“Yeah...” Takamaki turned her gaze to the left. “I keep planning to go to the hospital, but I’ve been too busy… Sorry to worry you.”

“You must be lonely too. I feel bad for keeping your best friend at practice so often. That’s why I asked you out in the first place.” Kamoshida glanced up, spotting Chiyo. “And I suggest you be careful around that transfer student. She’s got a criminal record and a… well, let’s call it a history. We wouldn’t want her to rub off on you, or have her turn violent...”

Takamaki’s brow twitched, matching her painfully fake smile. “Thank you for your concern, but I’ll be fine. Please, excuse me.”

She headed downstairs before Kamoshida could say anything else. Chiyo suddenly recalled a few whispers she heard yesterday about Takamaki and Kamoshida. Having seen what she just witnessed there appeared to be some truth to it. But then, why did Takamaki look like she was trying to avoid him?

Chiyo ducked two fingers under her glasses to rub her eye. She could practically hear Sojiro telling her to stay out of it, to mind her own business. But that didn’t stop something from nagging at the back of Chiyo’s head. Takamaki’s miserable expression the day before, her need to get away today…

She started playing a mental game of ping-pong. Either she butt in, ask Takamaki if she’s doing okay, and potentially cause trouble. Or she just forget what she saw and leave Takamaki in potential trouble. Chiyo was still mulling over this as she walked up to the school gate. It had stopped raining, but the grey clouds left her feeling a bit wary.

“Hey, Yoyo!”

A flush formed on her face as she whirled around to find Ryuji approaching her. Did he just call her ‘Yoyo?’ Was that a nickname? Did she have a nickname now? What does one _do_ with a nickname? “H-Hey,” Chiyo said with a lazy wave of her hand, “what’s up?”

“I wanna talk about that castle from yesterday,” Ryuji said plainly.

“Didn’t you end up writing it off as just a dream?”

‘That we both somehow perfectly shared,” she added silently.

“I know, I know!” Ryuji’s hands started waving hands as he spoke. “And I tried tellin’ myself it was just a dream but… I couldn’t do it.”

He heaved a sigh, slowly running a hand through his hair. “I can’t act like nothing happened. It’s all connected to that bastard Kamoshida, after all. I wanna find out what’s up with that place, no matter what. And y’know, you’re the only person I can rely on for this stuff. So, you in?”

Chiyo said nothing but instead shuffled her feet uselessly. There was a part of her that wanted to dissuade Ryuji from this as politely as possible. They barely made it out with their lives last time. But, despite all logic and reason telling her it was a terrible idea, Chiyo was curious about it all herself. What happened to her, what that castle really was, and how it could even be in the same location as Shujin Academy. It was crazy, but damn if it didn’t sound more appealing than just heading back to her lonely attic.

“Do you even know how we get there?” Chiyo asked at length.

“Uh...” His shoulder sagged in defeat. “Not-Not exactly...”

Pushing her bangs out of her eyes, Chiyo’s free hand cupped the opposite elbow, her standard thinking pose. They were missing must have missed yesterday when they ended up at that castle. “You said you took that same route a lot and nothing happened. So what was different?”

She watched Ryuji’s gaze travel skyward, a hand was cupped around his neck. “Didn’t you have your phone out for a bit?” he asked finally. “You had a navigation app thingy on. I heard stuff that sounded like one comin’ from your phone.”

Chiyo’s mouth fell open slightly just as a chill ran down her spine. What was it Igor said last night? Something about a ‘Metaverse Nav?’ Her hand trembled inside her pocket and didn’t stop as she fished it out. The red and black app was still right there on the screen. “Mind if I see?” Ryuji offered his hand out. She passed the device to him; Ryuji studied it only for a moment before he spoke up, “What’s this eyeball-lookin’ thing?”

She shrugged her shoulders. “Dunno. It just appeared the other day and I can’t delete it...”

“For real? What’s with this app…?” The two were silent for a moment as Ryuji prodded at the screen. His eyes lit up after a moment. “Dude, it’s a navigation app! There’s even a search history!”

“What?”

As proof of his claims, Ryuji turned the phone screen towards Chiyo. Despite the red and black color, the app really did resemble the GPS app she used the other day to find Leblanc for the first time. “It’s all right there,” Ryuji said getting excited. “Let's try usin’ it.”

He poked at the screen even further. Instantaneously, a mechanical, vaguely feminine voice spoke, _“Kamoshida… Shujin Academy… Pervert… Castle… Beginning navigation.”_

A slight bout of dizziness hit Chiyo as though she stood up too fast. She brought a hand to her temple, her eyes blinking several times in rapid succession in a futile attempt to ward off the sensation. “Whoa, dude...” Ryuji uttered. His hand clapped on Chiyo’s shoulder, his other hand pointed straight ahead.

She looked up to find the sky a rosy shade of magenta, and the very same European-style castle in the place where Shujin Academy should have been. “Whoa...it really worked?” Chiyo asked, more to herself.

The teens briefly exchanged a look of awe, before they tore across the drawbridge, into the castle courtyard. They found the window they had escaped from yesterday, or at least, they hoped it was the window from yesterday. When they got out neither of them prioritized committing the area outside to memory. 

They came to a stop under a torchlight outside, Ryuji slightly hunched over trying to catch his breath. “Yeah… Guess that means what happened yesterday was for real too,” he said. His shoulder rotated forward before he stood up straight. “Whoa! Your clothes!”

Startled, Chiyo looked down at herself to find that her uniform was replaced with the same black coat from yesterday. Her gloved hands reached up to touched the bridge of her nose and was met with the same hard material of a mask. “That happened last time too!” exclaimed Ryuji. “What’s with that outfit?”

“I kind of like it,” murmured Chiyo. She looked down at herself, at the leotard, the skirt, the leggings, the leg warmers. Chiyo had never worn a skirt like this in her gymnastic leotards, this one was too long. It looked more like a skirt that belonged on a figure skater’s leotard or another form of dancers. And Chiyo was positive she still had her undergarments on in this leotard. That was… a sensation. The leggings and leg warmers, those she was used to, but the leggings didn’t feel like they had any stretch to them. Like the seams would split if she even tried to lift a leg above her waist. And then there were the shoes. They had a few inches of heel on them, those worried her. She was going to end up twisting an ankle in these.

Chiyo brought her left leg up into a standing split, her back curved and her hands gently grasped her ankle. She didn’t hear the thread snapping, nor feel any tension in the seams. They moved as easily as the slacks she used to train in. And the coat’s slits were so high she didn’t have to worry about movement restriction, and the skirt was loose enough that it easily adjusted without getting in the way. So, it was just the shoes Chiyo had to worry about.

When she brought her leg down, she realized Ryuji was watching. His brows were arched and his lips were pulled tight together. His expression twisted uncomfortably like he physically felt pain in his own hip just by watching Chiyo. “You jelly?”

She saw the flinch in Ryuji’s shoulder; he looked away, cheeks turning pink. “The-The-The outfit?! I ain’t jealous!” He started to rake his hands through his hair. “Seriously though, what’s goin’ on here? This makes no fuckin’ sense at all...”

“Your guess is as good as mine,” Chiyo said, reaching up for the mask again. A sudden chill ran down her spine when it finally hit her.

She couldn’t feel her glasses under it.

Chiyo took the mask in both hands, took it off, and stared at the castle wall. She could see the patterns the bricks made, she could see the knicks in the wall. The torches around them, round platters with purple fires burning inside. She could make out the wear and tear of the barrels stored around them. But she didn’t have her glasses on. She didn’t even have her contacts on.

“Holy shit, I can see!”

“Will you keep your voices down?!” a new, but still somewhat familiar, voice snapped.

Morgan poked his head out from behind one of the parapets that blocked in the windows. Ryuji let out a surprised yelp and nearly fell over as Morgana ran up to them. What was curious was how the ground seemed to ripple with each step he took. There was even a purple-pink something that sloshed up with each step. The effect was like he was walking through a shallow puddle.

“The Shadows started acting up,” Morgana explained as though they should inherently know what that meant, “so I came here wondering what it could be...” He glanced up at the two, from Chiyo to Ryuji, and let out a heavy, exaggerated sigh. “To think you idiots would come back to the entrance when you barely managed to escape.”

“Well, needless to say, we had a few questions that wouldn’t leave us.” Chiyo crossed her arms over her chest. “Like, what is this place? It’s still the school, yes?”

“Yeah, that’s right.”

“But it’s a castle!” Ryuji exclaimed, throwing his arms to the side gesturing to the structure.

The cat-creature pointed a paw at Chiyo. “It’s like she said, this castle is the school. But only to this castle’s ruler.”

Chiyo gripped her chin between her thumb and forefinger. “You mean Kamoshida?”

“Exactly. It’s how his distorted heart views the school.”

Eyes cast downward, Chiyo stared at the floor for a moment, contemplating what Morgana just said. When she glanced back up at Ryuji she could see that the monster-cat had lost him. Chiyo thought she had the basic idea, Morgana’s explanation left her with more questions than answers. “Explain it in a way that makes sense!” barked Ryuji.

“I shouldn’t have expected a moron to get it,” sighed Morgana.

“What’d you say?!”

A cry from the inside of the castle caused the three of them to jump back. Chiyo instinctively held one hand at the ready, though she wasn’t sure what she was going to do with it if something came out at them. She needed to reach inside her coat for her ribbon. “What was that?!” Ryuji asked, his voice quavering.

“It must be the slaves held captive here,” Morgana said casually.

“For real?!”

“You mean like that guy we saw yesterday?” asked Chiyo.

The monster-cat nodded. “Just like him. It’s likely how Kamoshida views his students. What’s more, you two escaped yesterday. He must have lost his temper quite a bit.”

“That son of a bitch,” Ryuji hissed under his breath. His shoulders started shaking again, this time he wasn’t even bothering to hide it.

“Ryuji...”

“This is bullshit!”

Without warning, Ryuji ran up to the door and started ramming his shoulder into it in an attempt to open it. Each time Ryuji hit the door Chiyo flinched, the sound rather uncomfortable. By the time he hit it the third time, it became painfully obvious that it was not going to budge for anyone or anything. “That’s not going to work, you know,” Morgana said flatly. One the next ram, Ryuji sunk down, gripping his shoulder and muttering a string of curses under his breath. “Still, it seems you have your reasons.”

Ryuji was still braced against the door as he stood back up. After the pain subsided, he whipped around as though nothing happened. “Hey, Monamona!”

“It’s _Morgana_!”

“Whatever. Do you know where those voices are comin’ from?”

“You want me to take you to them?!” Morgana’s voice cracked in disbelief. He brought a paw to his chin in thought. “Well… I guess I could guide you there. But only if she comes with us.” He pointed his paw at Chiyo.

Chiyo's shoulders shot up when Morgana pointed at her. Out of reflex, she wanted to ask why she had to come with them. But she bit It back, if only because that was more or less Ryuji’s plan anyway, to figure out what this was. “All right, let’s go,” she said.

“Guess that settles that,” said Morgana.

Grinning, Ryuji clapped Chiyo on the shoulder. “Thanks, man.”

An awkward smile played upon Chiyo’s lips, a blush formed upon her cheeks, partially hidden by her mask. Could she really not take simple gratitude without getting flustered? A part of Chiyo wondered if it was the result of the arrest or if she was just given that little opportunity to do something nice for others. When she thought about it, she was mostly training and studying and there was only one person she could really call her friend.

Ryuji shrugged off his bag and reached inside. “Don’t worry, I’m not gonna force all this on you. I thought it might help, so...”

He pulled out a black handgun, a sight that made Chiyo’s heart leap into her throat. Even Morgan was taken aback by the sight of this pistol, judging by the fur standing up on end on his tail. “Holy shit!” Chiyo hissed. “Please don’t tell me that’s real!”

“Don’t worry, it ain’t. It’s a model gun, but I brought it just in case. It looks real enough, so it should at least fake ‘em out.” He gave his school bag a shake, there was a crinkling sound amongst the shuffling. “I brought snacks too. You know what they say: ‘Providin’ is pre… something.’”

“And suddenly I want to know what you would have done if I said no to coming back,” Chiyo muttered, blinking rapidly as she spoke.

“He likely would’ve come on his own and died,” replied a thoroughly unimpressed Morgana. He shook his head a couple of times. “All right, let’s do this! Follow me!”

###### 

Morgana lead the two back to the vent they escaped out of yesterday, which he called their ‘infiltration point.’ As they climbed back in, Chiyo felt the climb to get out was easier than it was to climb in. She decided it was because of the shelf inside that provided convenient hand and footholds.

After they crawled in through the vent, Morgana leads them back to the foyer, Chiyo followed close behind with Ryuji taking up the rear. In the foyer was a grand staircase that split at the mid-way point to two separate wings. On the wall at the mid-way point was a large portrait of Kamoshida in golden armor. The portrait made Chiyo think of a parody of a cover of a trashy romance novel.

Without warning, Chiyo felt woozy as the foyer’s image flickered; becoming a hybrid of the room with the staircase and portrait, and Shujin’s entrance hall “Whoa...” Chiyo barely noticed Ryuji rubbing his eyes. “I’m seein’ double or something… Was that Shujin?”

“I already told you,” Morgan said with waning patients. “This place is your school, it’s just how Kamoshida sees it. Regardless, we don’t have the time to stand around like this. Who knows when a Shadow might show up. This way, follow me!”

Just like that, Morgana took off again, leading them across the foyer, down a spiraling staircase that lead them down to the dungeon. The roar of the river reached Chiyo’s ears before too long. The dungeon was the same as it had been yesterday, a torch-lit corridor with cells on either side of the river. The bridge was several meters down the path, however, one of the black-armored guards was pacing down the path of the mouth of the bridge.

Immediately, Chiyo and Ryuji crouched at the door, peeking out the side of the door “Drat,” Morgana muttered under his breath. “I had a feeling there would be guards here… Doesn’t look like we’ll be able to avoid conflict.”

Ryuji paled. “F-For real…?”

“Oh well. They haven’t spotted us, so we have the advantage.” He turned his attention to Chiyo. “Hey, Four Eyes-”

“It’s Chiyo.”

“A good rule of thumb is to ambush as many enemies as you can. Attacking them from behind gives us the advantage. But you’ll need to rip off their masks to momentarily break the control the Palace ruler has over them.”

“That’s all we gotta do?” questioned Ryuji.

Chiyo glanced back at the guard, chewing her lower lip as it about-faced and marched back in their direction. At her side, Morgana gave Ryuji a look of contempt. “Uh, you know you’re just going to be watching, right? You can’t use a Persona.”

Ryuji looked like he wanted to argue against that, maybe remind Morgana that he brought a handgun to help out. But Morgana cut him off. “Alright, Four Eyes-”

“Chiyo.”

“I’m gonna teach you a special way to fight enemies.”

“More special than beating them with a ribbon?”

“Something like that. First, you got to remove that guard’s mask.”

Chiyo looked back at the guard as it about-faced and marched back. She broke forward. She was used to being light on her feet but wearing proper shoes while treading lightly was a new, kind of uncomfortable experience. She was used to performing in her toeshoes, socks, or barefoot. But as her body acted out of instinct into a couple of cartwheels, Chiyo found that the dance shoes bend to her needs, and miraculously enough, the heels weren’t a hindrance.

After two cartwheels, Chiyo's body rearranged itself so she was performing several consecutive handsprings. Within arm’s length of the guard, Chiyo tightened her knees up to her chest and used her core to give herself enough momentum. She perched herself atop the guard's shoulders.

In its confusion, Chiyo’s hand slapped over the guard's face and she dug her fingers under the blue mask. She pulled it off it with an audible pop. Throwing the mask to the side, Chiyo pushed off the guard's shoulders and backflipped safely away as the guard body began to twitch.

The black-armored being was soon replaced with one of the fairy’s that she and Morgana had fought the previous day. “Nice work!” Morgana said, suddenly at Chiyo’s side with his curved sword slung over his shoulder. “Now’s our chance to strike! Alright, first, we knock down all the enemies. That’s a crucial step in this attack!”

Obediently, Chiyo removed her ribbon from her coat, stunned that it had yet to tangle despite being shoved into a pocket. She repeated yesterday's actions, tossing the ribbon into the air and moving towards the Shadow in tight turns. When she caught the ribbon she snaked the ribbon, the energy generated by it, struck the fairy three times. The wings drooped, the fairy slowly sunk to the floor. “All right!” Morgana shouted through a grin wide enough to split his face. “Now rush on in for an All-out Attack!”

Chiyo pushed herself forward, her ribbon perfectly circling around her arm as she and Morgana beat into the Shadow. The Shadow steadily dissipated; when Chiyo and Morgana broke apart, Chiyo landed gracefully on her feet. She swept her left leg far behind her right leg until the shin and instep of her foot were flat on the floor and her right leg slightly bent to accommodate. Her left arm was held up, slightly curved above her head, while the other arm was held at her side. The tails of her coat had belled out around her.

As Chiyo rose to her feet, Morgan walked up to her, humming happily. “That went really well. You’re definitely fit for this. That bow at the end was just the right touch.”

“Wait, was that super-move thing you just did?!” Ryuji asked, using his hands to make wild gestures to speak with him.

“I told you, it’s called an All-out Attack. If you manage to knock all the enemies down, you might be able to use it to beat them all at once.

“Yeah…” Ryuji rubbed the back of his neck. “That was over real quick…”

“It’s a concentrated attack on defenseless enemies, after all.”

Ryuji knelt down at the pile of money and turned one of the notes over in his hand. “Dude is this stuff for real?” he asked, passing the note to Chiyo.

“Is it?” She held it up to the light.

“Oh, it is,” Morgana said, uncurling his arms. “If it’s treated as real money in this world, then it’s as good as the stuff produced in the real world.

“Dude, we gotta pocket this stuff!” Ryuji started stuffing his pockets with coins.

“Wait, won’t this break the economy? Maybe we should wait until we finish with this place before splitting it.”

“Uh… yeah, I’m down with that.”

“Alright, it’s… probably not the best idea to stay in one place for too long,” Chiyo said, listing her head towards the bridge.

In silent agreement, they raced across the bridge before anything else could happen. Abruptly, Ryuji slid to a stop. He looked from left to right, into the cells, in rapid session. “Where’d he go? That guy from yesterday?” Raking a hand through the back of his head, Ryuji’s brow rose instantly. “Oh, yeah, there were more of ‘em further in! Didn’t you hear them, Chiyo?”

“They might have been transferred already,” said Morgana.

“Transferred?” echoed Chiyo.

The group was instantly silenced by a sudden metallic sound. Metallic and even rhythmic, evidence that there was more than one guard. And they were headed straight for them. “That… That doesn't sound good,” Ryuji warbled.

“And I get the feeling we’d be pushing our luck if we try to take them on,” said Chiyo.

In the corner of her eye, she could see Morgana survey the area. He sprinted across the hall, only stopping in front of a wooden double door. “In here!” Morgana called. “We should be able to hide in here.”

Ryuji opened the door, allowing Chiyo and Morgana inside before he followed suit. The room looked like a sort of break room with a squat wooden table in the center. Morgana climbed onto the table; he stretched his stubby arms. “The Shadow’s probably won’t come in here.”

“What makes you so sure?” asked Chiyo.

“There’s a lack of distortion here, meaning the ruler’s control over this area is weak.”

A slight sense of dizziness hit Chiyo as the room morphed into an empty classroom. “Oh,” Chiyo uttered as the room changed back, “it’s another classroom. I get it because Kamoshida doesn’t teach in here, so to him, he doesn’t have the power he usually does.”

“Nice observation there,” said Morgana. “And I’d say you hit the nail on the head.”

Ryuji, while raking his hands through his hair, let out a frustrated yell. “Okay, what the hell are you two talkin’ about?! What is this place?”

“Will you keep it down?” Morgana asked bitterly. “This place is another reality that the ruler’s heart projects.”

Reading the look of confusion on Ryuji’s face Chiyo offered, “You said Kamoshida acts like he was king of the castle. This reality is taking it literally, likely because he’s thinking the same thing.”

Ryuji’s shoulders shook momentarily as he let out a humorless chuckle. “That son of a bitch!”

“You must really hate this Kamoshida guy,” noted Morgana.

“Hate doesn’t even begin to cover how I feel. Everything is that asshole’s fault!”

Chiyo crossed her arms over her chest, recalling how the Kamoshida in this world carefully studied her face. A chill ran down her spine when she remembered how he tore open her blazer. What exactly Kamoshida was planning on doing would ultimately be up to Chiyo’s imagination. Was he just trying to check out her chest? Or was he going to take it further?

Chiyo did not want to dwell on the ‘what-ifs’ too much. She wasn’t going to let them control her. But… she couldn’t help but recall Takamaki and what Chiyo witnessed between her and Kamoshida.

“I don’t know what happened between the two of you,” Morgana said, breaking Chiyo from her thoughts, “but don’t let your emotions get the better of you. His lackeys are everywhere inside.”

“Okay. I have a question.” Chiyo gestured to her person. “What’s with the costume change?”

“Oh yeah.” Ryuji crossed his arms over his chest. “I’m curious as hell about that.”

“That’s also because of this world,” Morgana explained plainly. “Anything distorts according to how a ruler pleases with his Palace. A school can turn into a castle like this, after all. To prevent such distortions, one must hold a powerful will of rebellion. Your appearance is a manifestation of that. It’s the image of rebel that you hold within.”

Chiyo studied her appearance again. Her image of rebellion was a runway model? Or was it based on the drama’s and anime, she watched growing up. Specifically, the characters that tended to stick with her. Those characters would wear long coats, and jeez, if those characters didn’t look infallible and just cool.

Ryuji’s sudden, frustrated yell shook Chiyo out of her thoughts. “I’m so fed up with all this! The bigger mystery is you than her clothes! What the hell are you and how do you know all this?!”

“I’m a human,” Morgana asserted, “and honest-to-god human!”

“No, you’re _obviously_ more like a cat!”

Morgana’s ears plastered against his skull, as he refused to meet Ryuji’s gaze. “That’s… well…” he said miserably. “It’s because I lost my true form.”

“You don’t sound so sure about that,” said Chiyo.

Shaking his head, Morgana’s ears picked back up. “Of course I am! I even know how to regain my true form. The reason why I snuck in here was for a preliminary investigation of those means.” His ears plastered back against his skull. “Until I got caught… B-Besides! I’ve been tortured by Kamoshida too! I’m gonna make him pay for sure!”

Morgana spoke with such conviction, it was rather amusing to hear something like that come from something as cartoonish as Morgana. Chiyo still had a few questions, the first and foremost being how and why all this was even possible. The castle, Chiyo’s clothes, those Shadow things, Chiyo and Morgana’s Persona things. It all couldn’t be happening just because.

When no one interrupted Chiyo’s thoughts, she realized how quiet it was. Namely, how quiet it was outside the room. “I don’t hear anything,” she said. “Think it’s safe to leave?”

Morgana’s head list to the left, his ears twitched briefly. “I think so. All right, I’ll be counting on your skills this time too, rookie. Got it?”

“I guess…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I imagine the background for Chiyo’s All-out Attack finisher would be flowery, not unlike Haru’s, while “The Shows Over” is written in a flowy text. Yes, ‘Yoyo’ is basically this story’s version of ‘Renren.’ What can I say, it was endearing.
> 
> The skirt of Chiyo’s leotard is more like a figure skaters leotard than a gymnasts. For gymnasts the skirt shouldn’t fall beyond the pelvic area. Also tights, tights not the leggings Chiyo wears, are supposed to be flesh-colored. 
> 
> ‘Sumi… ‘Sumi, ‘Sumi, ‘Sumi… To sum up my issues with her, she’s a waifu first and foremost, a mystery second, a character last. And that’s ignoring the bubble she exists in. And as someone who’s had their own mental health struggles, in the wake of someone’s death at that, yeah, I was unimpressed by how easy the game made it for her. 
> 
> I won’t say I hate her _per se_. But I will happily, **_happily_** take every other available confidant (except Akechi) and romantic option over ‘Sumi every time. I have plans for her. I consider this fic a fix-it of sorts for a reason.


	8. Chapter Seven

**Chapter Seven  
Hoist Your Colors High**

###### 

**_Tuesday, April 12th_ **

###### 

“I thought I just heard something move over there… Guess it was my imagination...”

“And what of the slaves?”

“They’re all in the training hall. I’d assume they’re screaming in pain by now.”

“Very well. By the way, I heard we may have intruders around. Stay on guard.”

The trio waited until the voices were out of earshot before they opened the door. “Well, if that wasn’t an interesting tidbit,” mused Morgana. His grin was on par with the Cheshire Cat.

Ryuji held the door open as Chiyo and Morgana walked out of the safe room. “They said trainin’ hall, right?” he inquired.

“I think that’s just a little further up ahead,” said Morgana.

Chiyo held the door open as Ryuji and Morgana walked out. “They said trainin’ hall, right?” Ryuji inquired.

“I think that’s just a little further up ahead.”

Morgana gestured for them to follow him; the monster-cat lead them to a nearby door, hidden amongst the line of cells. Hidden amongst them, one could be forgiven for mistaking it for just another cell. The pathway lead them to the training hall lead the group underground. Chiyo had to wonder why Kamoshida went through the hassle of hiding the training hall like this. But she quickly found that trying to deconstruct everything about the castle would easily distract her and likely give her a few headaches.

Turning the corner, Chiyo held an arm out, stopping Ryuji. Two guards were in conversation, perhaps one was updating the other about the intruders. They hadn’t found anything, but they knew intruders were running amok in the castle. “Drat,” Morgana hissed, “I had a feeling there’d be a lot of enemies. It’d be near impossible to dodge them.”

“Do you want me to ambush them?” asked Chiyo.

“Hold on, lemme think.” The monster-cat held his round head in one paw while the opposite arm held onto its fellow. “We don’t know how many enemies we’ll face along the way… How many sacks did you bring, Blondie?”

Ryuji shrugged his back off his shoulders and surveyed the contents. “Uh… eight snack bags of chips and two bottles of mineral water. I was kinda expectin’ just Chiyo and me so I packed enough for us to slit evenly.”

“Those snacks should come in handy while we’re in here,” Morgana mused thoughtfully. “We shouldn’t use them too freely. But, since we have them it’s a nice bit of reassurance before going in.” His face contorted for a moment before he looked back up at Chiyo. “Yeah, I think we will have to ambush them and try our luck. Worst case scenario, we may need to use up our provisions.”

Fluidly, Chiyo removed her ribbon from her coat. She stood up, readying herself, then moved into plain sight of the guards, who were still in conversation. “Hey!” she barked.

In unison, the guards turned to look at Chiyo, who was already sprinting towards them. She flicked her arm in front of her and flicked her wrist from left to right. The motion caused the ribbon to slice into both Shadow guards. Their bodies began to tremble before they broke apart into three Shadows. One of them had taken the form of the fairy creatures and a living flower. The other had become a red devil.

Her mask disappeared off her face, summoning Arsène “Give ‘em your Cleave!”

Obediently, Arsène twirled around once before she extended her arms. A sudden flash darted out, slamming itself into the fairy, taking it out instantly. Morgana took out his sword, approached the Gallows Flower, and slashed into it. The Flower countered by throwing its leg into Morgana. Chiyo cartwheeled towards the Gallows Flower slashing into it with her ribbon. The Flower fell over, disappearing into a haze as its fellow had done previously.

“Nice work, there,” said Morgana.

“Not bad yourself.”

“Don’t go celebratin’ just yet!” shouted Ryuji.

In unison, Chiyo and Morgana turned to find a red devil with leathery wings, of all things, ready to attack. Chiyo hated herself for forgetting about the second guard and the Shadow it became. However, before the devil could attack, an earsplitting bang echoed in the corridor. The devil stood still for a moment, black puss oozed out of the wound in its chest. It fell back, vanishing before it could hit the ground.

Chiyo turned towards Ryuji, who held his model pistol in his hands, looking just as perplexed as Chiyo. “I thought you said it was fake!” she shrieked.

“It is!” Ryuji’s voice broke. “I was just trying to buy you two a little time, not kill the thing!”

“Well, this is a cognitive world,” Morgana spoke up casually, stealing the teen’s attention. Haughtily, he had his arms crossed over his chest, as though he knew this would happen. “As long as our opponent sees it as the real thing, it becomes such. It’s a good thing it’s as realistic-looking as it is.”

“I don’t get it,” Ryuji said flatly.

“Basically, so long as these Shadow thingies think it’s a real gun, it’s as good as a real one,” Chiyo explained.

“Was that supposed to be a simpler explanation?”

“I wouldn't expect someone with your brains to understand,” Morgana said much to Ryuji’s irritation. “At least one of you can catch on.”

The three continued on shortly after that, not wanting to stay in one place for too long. It did not take them much longer before they found another guard they needed to take on. With Ryuji working the gun, he was able to help out far more than he was before.

They exited the corridor and were once again faced with a running river. They went down another stony hallway before they came across the training hall’s entrance, revealed by the banner hung over a pink-tinted metal doorway. “’Kamoshida’s… Training Hall… of Love…’” Ryuji read out loud. “What kinda bullshit is this?!”

He lead the way through the door; the sounds of painful cries, moans, and begging could be heard from the entrance corridor. At first glance, Chiyo could have sworn they were back in the dungeon, for it did not look any different from the hall they just left. A river ran through the center of the hall, with a bridge or two that lead safely to the other side. However, it was not until they crossed to the other side of the river did Chiyo see the main difference between the training hall and the dungeon.

There was a set of bars, larger than those keeping them inside the cell yesterday. It was fashioned like an observation deck. Several meters below was a volleyball court, complete with a net. However, the players each held onto the net while the guards struck the player's lower backs and the backs of their legs with wooden canes.

On the left of the room, one of the team members was on a treadmill at top speed. Maybe even beyond that. Directly behind him was a spiked roller, threatening to impale him the moment he tripped and fell or even slowed down. To the right of the room, a second team member was strung up by his ankles. On the opposite end of the room, volleyballs were being launched at him, striking the boy at full velocity.

Chiyo brought a gloved hand to her mouth as Ryuji cursed loudly. “How many times do I have to tell you to keep your voice down?!” Morgana scolded.

Ryuji gestured to the sight below them. “But this is beyond fucked up! There’s gotta be a way to get ‘em out...”

“Don’t bother...”

To their surprise, an unseen player limped upon the parapet surrounding the court. He walked with a visible limp, both his knee and wrists were bandaged up for all the good it was doing him. Chiyo wondered, vaguely, how he could have climbed up to meet them if he was this beaten up. “Leave us alone,” he said miserably. “It’s useless...”

“The hell you talkin’ about?!” Ryuji demanded.

“If we stay obedient, we won’t be executed like you guys...”

Ryuji grabbed the bars, just barely keeping himself from trembling. “You’re tellin’ me you wanna stay in a place like this?!”

Morgana’s tail stuck straight out, the fur along his spine standing up on end. “Wait! You were planning on taking these guys out of here?!”

“We can’t just leave ‘em here!”

“How stupid can you be?”

“Excuse me?!”

“These people are only people in Kamoshida’s cognition. They aren’t real humans that entered from reality. They’re different from the two of you.”

Ryuji’s head list to the left as he raked a hand through his hair. “Cognition…?” he repeated slowly.

“It’s like how Kamoshida views the school as a castle,” Chiyo explained. “Those students down there are probably how he views the volleyball team.

“So the school’s a castle, and the students are slaves...” He scoffed through a mirthless grin. “That’s so on point it almost makes me laugh. This really is inside that asshole’s head..”

Chiyo looked back down at the volleyball court, struggling to drown out the cognition's pain-filled cries and please for mercy. She bit the fabric over the bed of her thumb. “I’d say the team isn’t actually going through this in reality… but it’s not far from the truth...”

Wait, where were the girls? Didn’t Kamoshida also coach the girl’s team? All Chiyo could see down there were boys.

“You’re right.” Morgana approached the bars to get a better look. “This is pretty horrible. They must be physically abused every day… There’s no way they’d be so beaten up normally.”

“So it might be for real...” Ryuji murmured.

“Probably. Granted, not _this_ over the top, but I’d say it’s likely...”

“I heard that Kamoshida’s usin’ physical punishment,” Ryuji said thoughtfully. “They’re just rumors, but… If they’re true, wouldn’t this be somethin’ to report to the police...”  
“Isn’t Kamoshida an Olympic alumnus, though?” Chiyo asked. “Won the gold for Japan? School idol, essentially? It’d be our word against his.”

Ryuji threw a hand towards the court. “But we _have_ evidence! If we could get any one of these guys to come clean about it, Kamoshida’s done for.” He pulled out his phone to take a picture but quickly found the camera wouldn’t work. “The hell? We can use that navigation app, but the camera’s a no go?!”

Morgana’s ears twitched. “A navigation app?”

“That’s how we’ve been getting here,” Chiyo explained.

Pursing her lips together, Chiyo reached into her front pocket to find her phone was still there, surprisingly enough. She tried to get her camera app to run, but the screen remained frozen no matter how many times she tapped the screen. “Nothing on my end either.”

“Well, whatever you do is fine, but we’re gonna get caught if we stand around like this,” Morgana said in a hushed tone. “We need to get back!”

“Hold on a second,” Ryuji said, holding an arm up. He glanced back at the volleyball court. Chiyo reckoned he was either looking for familiar faces or trying to commit their faces to memory. “All right, I think I can find their real-selves tomorrow.”

Heading back out was far easier than the path to get there. Though their presence was most certainly known. Morgana urged them to hurry onward before they got caught. They headed to the foyer with no problem, no guards, no Shadows.

They were about halfway across the foyer when Kamoshida appeared suddenly, blocking their exit with two black-armored guards and a single guard in golden armor. “You knaves again?” Kamoshida demanded with a slight snarl. “To think you’d make the same mistake twice in as many days. You’re hopeless!”

“’Mistake,’ huh?” Chiyo crossed her arms over her chest. “Strange thing to say from the man who was close to pissing himself in fright last time we met.”

Kamoshida clenched his jaw so tight, Chiyo could have sworn there was a vein bulging at his temple. “Don’t forget whose castle this is, peasant! You’ll find there are many secrets hidden away.”

“The school ain’t your castle!” shouted Ryuji. “I’m going to see the volleyball team first chance I get. You’re goin’ down!”

Kamoshida’s shoulders shook in a scoff. “It seems it’s true what they say, ‘barking dogs seldom bite.’ How far the star runner of the track team has fallen.”

Chiyo’s brow furrowed, she lowered her arms at her side and eyed Ryuji in confusion. He was a track runner?

“The hell you gettin’ at?!” barked Ryuji.

“I speak of the ‘Track Traitor’ who acted in violence, ending his teammates’ dreams,” Kamoshida explained with a hint of condescension in his tone. “I can only imagine the pain of the others who were dragged under with your...” Kamoshida took a moment to grip his jaw, pretending to think, “ _selfish_ act.”

Ryuji visibly faltered. He kept his eyes down as though afraid to look Chiyo in the face. “Ryuji, what’s he talking about?” she asked.

Kamoshida crossed his arms, taking on a strong, haughty stance. “What a surprise,” he told her plainly. “So, you’re accompanying him without knowing anything at all? Sakamoto betrayed his teammates and crushed their hopes, yet he still carries on as carefree as ever.”

“That’s not true!” Ryuji shouted, his hands balled up tight at his side.

The cognitive Kamoshida ignored him, instead, he kept his gaze on Chiyo. “You’ve come along with this fool and now you’re going to end up dead. Of course...” he paused. His yellow eyes traveled down the length of Chiyo’s body. “I’m willing to excuse you, provided you give me something in return.”

“I’m just playing. Relax.”

Hot anger rushed through Chiyo. “Fuck that noise!” she snarled.

Kamoshida’s lips pulled back into a tooth-bearing sneer. He turned and leaned towards the golden-armored guard. “Go ahead and kill them,” he instructed. “Don’t sully my castle with garbage.”

The Guard Captain gestured to his black-armored fellow. They morphed into pair of black horses with snowy white mains and a couple of green ram horns protruding from their skulls. “Goddammit...” Ryuji murmured, still as a statue.

One of the demon horses reared back on its back legs. As soon as its front hooves hit the floor, its head was low, it charged straight at the one defenseless person in the group. “Ryuji!” Chiyo shouted.

Her body acted on its own; she ran towards Ryuji, her arms outstretched in front of her. Her hands connected with Ryuji’s side, with him lost in his own world, it didn’t take much for Chiyo to shove him out of the way. She took the full bunt of the demon horse's attack, thrown off her feet, Chiyo ended up sliding across the floor. “Zorro!” Morgana shouted, summoning the very being in question. “Garu!”

Zorro flicked its arm, forming the familiar Z-shape. The corresponding demon horse shook its head, a dissatisfied knicker escaped its lips. The demon horse got its revenge by ramming its head into Morgana. The monster-cat flew back, landing flat on his belly. Kamoshida proceeded to drop his foot on Morgana’s back, preventing him from getting back up. Morgana sputtered, the wind forced out of him. “You piece of-”

Chiyo tried to pull herself onto her knees, but the golden-armored guard mimicked Kamoshida’s actions. The weight on her back was just enough to make breathing difficult, but not impossible. In front of her, Ryuji sat on his knees, hating himself for freezing up the way he did. “I bet you simply came here on a whim and ended up like this.” Kamoshida turned his gaze on Ryuji as if to further twist the knife in his chest. “Isn’t that right?”

“N-No...” Ryuji’s voice shook.

“What a worthless piece of trash, getting emotional so quickly… How dare you raise your hand at me! Though it was only temporary, have you forgotten my kindness in supervising track practice?”

“That wasn’t no practice...” Ryuji threw his fists to the floor in frustration, his body trembling. “It was physical abuse! You just didn’t like our team!”

“It was nothing but an eyesore!” Kamoshida barked back. His nostrils flared in anger. “The only one who needs to achieve results is _me_! The coach who got fired was hopeless too… Had he not opposed me with such a sound argument, I would’ve settled it with just breaking his star’s leg.”

“What…?”

“Do you need me to deal with the other leg too? The school will call it self-defense anyway!”

“Damnit...” Ryuji’s voice shook. Even after his leg healed it hadn’t worked the same way since. Their insurance didn’t cover physical therapy, his mom couldn’t pay for the appointments it would have cost on her wages. And even if Ryuji was able to get a part-time job the pay likely wouldn't keep up. His track days were over.

It would have been fine if that was the end of it, crappy but fine if it was just him. But Kamoshida, the real one, used the incident as an excuse to disband the track team. Of course, the team blamed him for it, Ryuji probably would have done the same thing if it were someone else. So he distanced himself from the rest of the team. And now he was just sitting there while Chiyo and Morgana died because of his curiosity.

Someone else who suffered because of his actions…

“WHAT THE FUCK, MAN?!”

All eyes turned to Chiyo. She pushed herself up as best as she could with the Guard Captain keeping her down, so she was mostly just on her elbows. Despite her situation, her hands were balled up into tight fists. Despite the mask hiding most of her face, it was easy to see her anger with the way her eyes contracted. “So you’re just going to sit back on your heels and prove this dickhead right?!” she shouted. “You’re just gonna sit there and _let_ him win?! What the fuck has he done to deserve the satisfaction?!”

Ryuji looked bewildered initially, taken aback by Chiyo’s sudden outburst. But… wasn’t she onto something? What had this fucker done to deserve his tears? To get satisfaction from his anguish? Wasn’t he just giving him what he wanted by wallowing in his own self-pity? Fuck that noise!

“You’re right,” Ryuji said, feeling a surge of reckless anger inside. “Everything important to me was taken by him… I’ll never get ‘em back…!”

“Are you done?” asked a bored Kamoshida. “Just stay there and watch. Look down as these hopeless scum die for nothing because they sided with trash like you.”

“No...” Ryuji slowly leaned back onto his knees and stood up. “That’s what you are… All you think about is using people… You’re the real scumbag, Kamoshida!”

With a new resolve, Ryuji slowly marched closer to Kamoshida. The king’s brow twitched slightly, biting his lower lip nervously. “What are you doing?” the Shadow Kamoshida demanded. “Silence him!”

Close enough to be satisfied, Ryuji extended his right arm, pointing straight at Kamoshida. A cognitive shadow, the real this, he didn’t care. “STOP LOOKIN’ DOWN ON ME WITH THAT STUPID-ASS SMILE ON YOUR FACE!” roared Ryuji.

_“You made me wait quite a while.”_

A sudden, intense pain in his head caused Ryuji to lose his composure. In a futile attempt to soothe the pain, Ryuji held onto either side of his head. He dropped right back down to his knees and withered, unable to think of anything else to make the pain stop.

Chiyo, still pinned to the floor, brought a hand to her mouth. Didn’t she experience something similar yesterday when… when… “No way...”

_“You seek power, correct? Then let us form a pact. Since your name has been disgraced already, why not hoist the flag and wreak havoc? The ‘other you’ who exists within desires it thus…_

_“I am thou, thou art I… There is no turning back… The skull of rebellion is your flag henceforth!”_

A blue and white flame flurried across the upper half of Ryuji’s face when the pain suddenly vanished, leaving him momentarily light-headed. Chiyo watched in awe, vaguely wondering if the thoughts going through her head went through Ryuji’s the day before. Unlike Chiyo’s domino mask, Ryuji’s mask was molded into the shape of a metallic skull. However, the skull mask looked like was fitted specifically for Ryuji’s face.

“What can you do?” the golden guard challenged. He raised its sword, likewise golden, ready for an attack. “Cower in fear and watch!”

Grunting in both fury and pain, Ryuji forced himself to his feet. He held his hands on either side of his mask and, with one strong yank, ripped it clean off. His face was painted red for a split second before blue and white flames consumed his person. When the flames died down a new figure hovered behind Ryuji, bound by him with ethereal chains.

The figure wore a generic pirate hat, not quite a tricorn. It wore a blue suit with a couple of cutlasses connected to thick belts crisscrossing over its chest. A tattered cape billowed behind it, and its right hand was a canon. The being’s face was a bone-white skull, with an eye patch over their right eye. They stood on a small black ship like it were a skateboard, or perhaps a surfboard.

Ryuji’s uniform had been replaced with a black jacket and matching slacks. He had on a pair of knee pads as a red ascot around his neck. His pant legs hung over his combat boots, and striking yellow gloves covered his hands. Around his waist his belt carried a long metal rod, Chiyo almost mistook it for a pipe.

The force of the change spooked Kamoshida and his golden guard enough to back away from Morgana and Chiyo. Kamoshida shielded his eyes with one arm, the fires surrounding Ryuji was so bright. The demon horses witnessing the chaos began to dance in place.

A grin formed on Ryuji’s face, a sense of rebirth and awakening overtook him. “Right on,” he said, studying the change in his appearance. “Wassup, Persona… This fucking _rocks_! Now that I got this power, it’s time for payback…”

Freed from their burdens, Chiyo stood up, wearing a tooth-bearing grin. The thrill of the scene was just as exhilarating as experiencing the awakening.

Ryuji cracked his knuckles, never wanting to come down from this high. “Yo, I’m ready…” he declared, walking up to Chiyo and Morgana. “Bring it!”

The golden knight let out a bitter growl. “Don’t mock me,” he said raising his sword again, “you brat!”

Slamming its sword onto the floor the guard morphed, transforming into a red armored knight atop a purple-blue horse with a white mane. “All right! Kamoshida’s cognition ain’t changin’, right? Then I’ll act like the troublemaker I am!” Ryuji threw his arm forward, pointing straight at the knight, his Persona mimicking him. “Blast him away… Captain Kidd!”

Captain Kidd raised its canon hand and fired. A bolt of electricity struck the knight; Chiyo followed up Ryuji’s attack with a physical attack from her ribbon. Finishing up the chain of attacks Morgana summoned Zorro, instructing it to use Garu.

The demon horses charged for an attack as the knight disappeared. Ryuji removed his mask a second time, willing Captain Kidd to send out a second Zio. Chiyo readied her ribbon and struck the nearest demon horse, to which Morgana followed up with an attack from his sword, it disappeared instantly. Ryuji removed the pistol from his pocket, one pull of the trigger, and the second demon horse was down for the count.

As soon as the second demon horse was gone Ryuji leaned forward, bent over double, trying to catch his breath. “How ‘bout that?! Even if you apologize now… I ain’t forgivin’ you!”

“I told you that this is my castle,” Kamoshida said, thoroughly unimpressed. “It seems you still don’t understand…”

Kamoshida gestured with his head, immediately a girl in a pink bikini, pink pumps, and a cat-eared headband walked up from the foot of the stairway. Chiyo’s face flushed as her jaw nearly dropped to the floor. She recognized the girl instantly, though they never really spoke. “Takamaki?!”

A purring sound at her right caught her attention. A glance down and Chiyo could see Morgana enamored with the Takamaki at Kamoshida’s side. “What a _meow_ -velous and beautiful girl!”

If Chiyo wasn’t so unnerved by the implication behind Takamaki’s cognitive self, she would have had something to say about that cat-pun. Nothing good. But the implications behind Takamaki certainly made Chiyo’s skin crawl. “This-this is like those slaves downstairs, right?” Ryuji warbled.

Chiyo‘s voice broke, “Most likely…”

For whatever reason, whatever point he was trying to make, Kamoshida caressed the cognitive Takamaki’s face. “Hey! Let go of her, you perv!” shouted Ryuji.

Kamoshida asked, “How many times must I tell you until you understand? This is my castle – a place in which I can do what I want. Everyone wishes to be loved by me. That is…” he turned away from the cognitive Takamaki, who draped herself over him, “everyone besides slow-witted thieves like you.”

“What can I say,” Chiyo shrugged, “revolution always comes when the ruling monarch has his head so far up his own ass.”

Once again, Kamoshida’s lips pulled back into a snarl while his fists shook. “You’re really starting to piss me off, you bitch,” he growled. Turning his head to the side, he barked, “Guards, clean them up this instant!”

Instantly in a splash of magenta and red… something, three guards in black armor appeared before the three. “We’re outnumbered!” Morgana shouted frantically. “Let’s scram before they surround us!”

“We’re not gonna do anything and just run for it?!” argued Ryuji.

“I don’t think we have a choice,” Chiyo said quickly. “Summoning your Persona took a bit out of you and Morgana and I have been fighting for a while. We fight now, we may not get out of here.”

“Thank god someone here’s got a level head,” sighed Morgana.

Ryuji bit his lower lip for a moment. “Fine,” he relented. He glared back at Kamoshida, wanting to get the last word in before they retreated. “We’ll expose what you really are, no matter what! You better be ready for us!”

The castle’s self-proclaimed king threw his head back, laughing. “I was beginning to get bored with torturing the ones here! Come at me whenever you want, if you don’t care about your life!”

“Ignore him,” Morgana said, turning on his paw. “Let’s go!”

###### 

For better or worse, they went out the same way they went in. Chiyo had it in her head to try and throw the guards off their trail by opening the door opposite the room they entered and closing the door behind them. It would have legitimately surprised her if it worked, but it was all she could think of to buy them a little more time.

Once outside Morgana collapsed face-down on the brick ground, while Ryuji was bent over double trying to catch his breath. Chiyo kept her hands on her waist and leaned back at a slight angle. She was afraid if she mimicked Ryuji’s actions she might end up on the ground like Morgana.

“Anyway…” Ryuji breathed out as he stood back up. He gestured to his clothes. “I don’t remember changin’ into this…”

“Looks good on you…” Chiyo said breathlessly.

“Well, it ain’t as bad as yours.”

“I like mine!”

“Did you find them?!” a new, muffled, voice shouted.

“Both of you be quiet!” Morgana hissed, pushing himself onto his back paws.

“No,” called another voice. “Search that way!”

“So what’s goin’ on?” Ryuji asked as quietly as he could. “My head’s swimmin’, man…”

“I told you before.” Morgana crossed his arms over his chest. “When a Persona-user opposes a Palace’s ruler and becomes a threat to them, this happens. It’s to prevent you from being affected by distortions. Your appearance reflects your inner self. It’s the rebel that slumbers within… Not that you’ll get it.”

Chiyo would have thought Ryuji would get snippy with Morgana for that quip, for she certainly would if it were directed at her. But to her surprise, Ryuji just dropped his head and sighed out a matter of fact, “Nope.”

“Then stop asking questions and accept what you see for what it is.”

“Wait,” Ryuji gasped, a thought suddenly dawning on him, “we’re in deep shit!”

“I said be quiet!”

Chiyo hissed through her teeth, “Both of you quit yelling!”

“We might’ve gotten away here,” Ryuji said, ignoring Morgana and Chiyo. “But we’re still screwed with Kamoshida at the real school…”

“I don’t think we are,” said Chiyo. She jerked a thumb back towards the castle. “I called this version of Kamoshida a few things yesterday, but the real one didn’t act any different when we met.”

“And another nice observation from Four Eyes,” Morgana said happily. He crossed his arms over his chest before he continued. “The Kamoshida in reality can’t possibly know what happens here. A Shadow is the true self that is suppressed – a side of one’s personality they don’t want to see.”

“So all this is what happens when one essentially fools themselves for too long?” asked Chiyo.

“In a way. Just fooling yourself isn’t enough to create a Palace, but it does play a part in it.”

“Then we're okay?” asked Ryuji.

Chiyo gave him a reassuring nod. “Sounds like it.”

“All right! Now that we know that, all we gotta do is-”

Morgana cut him off. “Wait a minute. I guided you as promised. It’s your turn to cooperate with me.” Ryuji and Chiyo exchanged questioning looks. Morgana didn’t suggest any sort of bargain before, did he? “That’s why I was super nice about teaching you idiots everything.”

“Well, fuck you, too,” Chiyo muttered under her breath.

“Whaddya mean cooperate?” Ryuji questioned aloud.

Morgana said forcefully, “Don’t you remember? I originally came here for an investigation. I need to erase the distortion from my body and regain my real form! That’s why we must delve deep into Mementos and-”

“Whoa, hold up!” Ryuji held a hand up, silencing Morgana. “What’re you goin’ on and on about? We never said anything about helpin’ you out.”

“Huh?!” Morgana nearly fell over. “Don’t tell me… Are you not going to repay the hospitality I showed you? Especially you, Four Eyes. You’re going to up and leave, even though you’re already part of my master plan?!”

“I’m an _idiot_ , remember? Also, my name’s not ‘Four Eyes.’” Chiyo said with false cheeriness. Instantly, Morgana’s ears plastered against his skull and his eyes widened. Chiyo was half-convinced he went pale under his fur. She could practically hear his internal screaming. “And you never said anything about a deal and this is the first we’re hearing about some ‘master plan!’”

“Is it because I’m not human?! Because I’m like a cat?! Is that why you’re making a fool of me?!”

“We’re busy,” said Ryuji. He knelt, patting Morgana behind the ear. “Thanks for everything, cat. You’ve got guts, bein’ a cat and all! See you around!”

Standing back up straight, Ryuji gestured with his head for Chiyo to follow him. She gave Morgana a friendly wave of the hand. “Good luck!” she called before she followed Ryuji at the heel.

“Hey! What the hell?!” Morgana yelled, flailing his arms wildly. “Seriously?! Why’re you wrapping this up like everything’s all hunky-dory?! Get back here, or so help me-! GAH!”

###### 

_“You have returned to the real world. Welcome back.”_

The pair hardly flinched when their school uniforms returned to their persons as they ran to the alleyway across the road. Chiyo pressed her back against the building while Ryuji was bent over double, catching their breath. “Thank god… We’re back,” Ryuji exhaled. He stole a glance at Chiyo, whose breathing was just beginning to calm down. “I guess I dragged you around a lot, huh? Sorry, man.”

Chiyo waved it off. “This was better than going home,” she said.

“I’m dead tired… How you holdin’ up?”

“Shouldn’t have any problem falling to sleep tonight.”

“Heh. Tell me about it. But damn, if what we saw was for real, this is gonna get good! I should be able to find those guys Kamoshida was treatin’ like slaves. Once we make ‘em fess up to any physical abuse, Kamoshida will be done.”

A smile tugged at Chiyo’s lips. Assuming it was true, maybe not to the extent they saw in Kamoshida’s cognition, then he was unfit to be a teacher. But the cognition of Takamaki had Chiyo worried for another reason altogether. The fact that she wore nothing but a bikini… For a teacher, Chiyo couldn’t think of anything more inappropriate.

“So…” Ryuji shook Chiyo out of her thoughts, “wanna help me look for those guys or any witnesses?”

“Uh…” Chiyo mulled over it for a moment. What did she have to lose? Besides her fellow students were being beaten behind the scenes by their teacher. They couldn’t just let that slide. “I guess. Sure.”

“Now that’s what I’m talkin’ about!”

Slowly, Ryuji’s bravado died down. He started to avoid eye contact with Chiyo as he shuffled his feet. “Hey, so…” he spoke as though it was on his mind for a while, “I get what you’re doin’, layin’ low, trying to draw less attention to yourself, but I don’t think it’s helpin’… Everyone already knows. They totally got you pegged as a criminal and…” he looked away, “other things… That shy girl act… everyone’s either expectin’ you to just snap over the smallest thing or they think you’re tryin’ to appeal to a certain type.”

Sighing through her nose, Chiyo looked down at her shoes. She figured that much on her own. Despite what everyone thought, she could hear just fine. “I knew it’d come out eventually,” she said. “But how’d they find out so fast?”

“Kamoshida opened his damn mouth,” Ryuji said bitterly.

“Seriously?!”

“No one else besides a teacher could’ve leaked it that fast. It doesn’t matter if it’s a student or a club; that asshole just wrecks things he doesn’t agree with. Just like he did with me!” He sighed. “No one’ll take anything I say seriously. Still, those rumors about him gettin’ physical might be real. And after seein’ Kamoshida’s distorted-heart thing in person, there’s no way I can just sit back!”

Couldn’t sit back? Chiyo could understand that feeling. She was in her current predicament because she couldn’t sit back. She gave Ryuji a nod, unable to find her voice. “I’m countin’ on you! And, hey, if it means anything, I don’t think you need to worry much about the rumors.” He playfully punched Chiyo in the shoulder. “You’re kinda hardcore.”

Hardcore? Chiyo had been called several things throughout her life. Lovely. Graceful. Well-behaved. Whore. Disappointment. Criminal. But hardcore? “I’ve… never been called hardcore before,” she confessed with a goofy grin on her face. “It’s got a nice ring to it.”

The joyous moment came to an abrupt halt when a growling sound came from Ryuji’s stomach. “Crap,” he groaned. “I haven’t eaten anything since lunch. It’d be weird splittin’ off now, so why don’t we grab a bite somewhere?”

She almost literally felt her spirits rising. To be invited along, to just hang out. It felt like a lifetime ago since Chiyo experienced this. It was like having friends again. But… then again, maybe she did have at least one friend now. It was difficult to go through something as life-threatening as that Palace and not come out of it closer to the person you went in with. “S-sure,” she said with a smile.

“Just follow me, then,” said Ryuji. “I mean, I totally gotta hear about your past!”

……

“ _WHAT?!_ ”

Chiyo imagined Ryuji must have heard the story in the rumors floating around, but the real story apparently wasn't what he was expecting. She did not go into too much detail, partially because they were in a public restaurant. But she gave him a pretty good idea about what happened without going into too much detail.

“The hell, man!” Ryuji ranted. “How much shittier can that asshole get?!”

Unsure of what to say, Chiyo simply shrugged half-heartedly. She prodded her beef bowl with her chopsticks while Ryuji continued talking with food in his mouth. At least he wasn’t yelling anymore. “So… you left your hometown, and you’re livin’ here now, huh?”

“Yeah, that’s basically the gist of it,” Chiyo confirmed.

“We might be more alike than I originally thought.”

Lowering her chopsticks, Chiyo pondered for a moment, recalling what she heard about Ryuji in Kamoshida’s Palace. Yeah, Ryuji was onto something. They both got royally screwed over while trying to do the right thing. “Yeah,” she said with a smile. “I guess so.”

“Y’know, you’re the first guy that made me think that.” His brow furrowed for a moment as he brought his bowl up. “I guess it’s how we’re treated like a pain in the ass by the people around us like we don’t belong. I did something stupid at school before, too.”

Ryuji brought the rim of his bowl to his lips and wolfed down the rest of it. “The place you’re livin’ now is in…” he paused, “Yongen, right?”

“Right.”

“It’s rush hour on the subways. I suggest you kill some time before headin’ home.”

Wasn’t she doing that now? Not that Chiyo was complaining much. She was not in a rush to be grilled by Sojiro again and return to that lonely attic. “What the hell, man. You barely touched your food,” Ryuji said, causing Chiyo to jump.

All she had been doing was poking at it with her chopsticks. Chiyo honestly could not remember if she ever had a beef bowl before. She was used to leaner foods, red meat was a rarity for her. In truth, she wasn’t sure how her stomach would handle something this foreign. But a part of her was too embarrassed to admit it to Ryuji. She stomached Sojiro’s curry okay. Shouldn’t she handle a bit of beef bowl?

Hesitantly, she brought the bowl up closer and tried a bite of the concoction. The mixture of flavors was mouth-watering. The beef and rice flavored with bits of onion and soy sauce. Perhaps foolishly, Chiyo wolfed it down over savoring and taking her time.

“There ya go,” said Ryuji. “Oh yeah!” He grabbed his phone out of his pocket. “Tell me your number. Chat ID too.”

Her mouth still full, Chiyo dropped her bowl and chopsticks to get her phone out. She hoped she didn’t come across as too eager and ended up scaring Ryuji away. After exchanging information, Chiyo returned her phone to its place and returned to her gyudon. “The volleyball rally’s tomorrow,” Ryuji said with a sigh. “Shit’s recommended by Kamoshida. Makes me wanna gag. But thanks to that, we got no classes in the afternoon, and we can walk around unnoticed. Perfect time to talk to the volleyball team. Guess we can work out further details tomorrow.”

Mouth full, Chiyo nodded.

###### 

Ann Takamaki sat by the vending machines with a black haired girl with her hair done up in a simple ponytail. The girl looked a bit down in the dumps to her. When Ann asked if anything was wrong, she just said she was having trouble sleeping. “Whenever I close my eyes, I keep thinking about too many things...”

“Shiho...” murmured Ann.

“Nationals are coming up soon, so I keep thinking… Should someone like me really be on the starting lineup?”

“Don’t worry.” Ann gave Shiho her best sunny smile. “Just be confident in yourself! Your skills have been recognized! It’s all because you work harder than anyone else!”

Shiho stared at her lap, her eyes darkening. “Yeah… Volleyball’s all I have, after all…”

“More importantly, was that injury okay? It looked really swollen.”

“It’s nothing. It’s normal… Especially since a meet’s coming up.”

“Excuse me, Suzui?”

In unison, Ann and Shiho looked up to see a first-year girl with her hair done in a couple of low braids. She was in a white t-shirt and the school-issued red track-pants. Ann took an educated guess that the girl was on the volleyball team. She had the signs, a green bruise on her cheek, a fresher purple bruise on her arm, and just above her brow. There was a compression sleeve on her right wrist and the lower corner of her lip looked like it was bleeding earlier. “Noya?” questioned Shiho.

“I’m sorry to interrupt,” the girl said, avoiding eye contact with either Shiho or Ann. “Kamoshida-sensei told me to get you.”

Shiho looked up, her brow rose instantly. “What does he want?” she asked, her voice shallow.

“He didn’t say…”

Her hands gripped the hem of her skirt. “Ann, I…”

“It’ll be fine!” Ann said cheerfully. “I bet it’s a meeting about the starting lineup or something.”

Slowly, if not a bit forcefully, a smile formed on Shiho’s lips. “Yeah…” She stood up, keeping her eyes on the ground. “I’d better get going…”

“Yup.” Ann pumped her hand into a fist. “Good luck!”

Shiho flashed her one more smile before she and Noya walked off. “Hang in there, Shiho…”

###### 

| Hey, I decided to go ahead and message you.  
---|---  
| Can you see this?  
| Got it!  
| I’m gonna be counting on you tomorrow, OK?  
|  Do you want to meet outside school tomorrow morning?  
| Sure. I’ll see you then.  
| Oh! That thingy on your phone was some red eyeball icon, right?  
|  Yeah, red and black.  
|  …Why?  
| I found it on my phone too…  
|  WHAT?!  
| I don’t even remember installing it!  
| Think it’s being downloaded on its own somehow?  
| Maybe  
| It just appeared on my phone a few days ago  
|  Kept coming back no matter how many times I deleted it.  
| It’s dangerous to use something without knowing what it is…  
|  Which is why I tried to delete it.  
|  It just acted on its own yesterday…  
| Seriously?!  
| But with it, we can go to that weird place, right?  
| I think so…  
| Basically, it’s gonna depend on how we use it.  
| But first we gotta find evidence on the beatings.  
| Don’t go ditching school on me.  
|  Don’t worry, I’ll be there.  
  
Chiyo placed her phone on the boxes that served as her bedside table. She held her stomach as it started making bubbly sounds and groans again. She wasn’t throwing up yet, so she considered it a good sign.

When she returned to Leblanc Sojiro inquired as to where Chiyo had been all afternoon. All Chiyo said was that she was making friends. It was nothing Sojiro minded, so long as this friend wasn’t a bad influence. As she got ready to go to the bathhouse, she discovered part of the money she and Ryuji collected from the castle in the pockets of her blazer. It was the most cliché place, but Chiyo hid the money under her mattress.

She tried going to the bathhouse with her contacts on. They were started to dry after a bit of time in the bath.

Chiyo returned to Leblanc before Sojiro locked up the store. She’d changed into her pajamas and turned on her star light when Ryuji sent the first IM. After the last message, she turned the light off, and made herself comfortable under the covers.

###### 

_Drip… Drip… Drip…_

Chiyo woke up to find herself in the cell in the Velvet Room. Robotically, she stood up and shuffled her way to the barred door. “Welcome to the Velvet Room,” greeted Igor.

“Yo,” Chiyo said dully.

“Manners, Maggot!” shouted Henry. “You’re a lady, aren’t you?”

Chiyo was incredibly tempted to respond with every curse she knew and then the few she knew in English. Igor chuckled, interrupting Chiyo before she could even contemplate which curse to start with. “I thought about resuming our previous conversation tonight. That is why I have summoned you. What are your thoughts? Are you becoming accustomed to this place?”

“More or less,” Chiyo said less flippantly. She wasn’t panicking anymore, not here anyway. The thought of being locked up for real though was enough to keep her awake at night.

“Glad to hear it. It seems you have nerves of steel.”

While Ryuji called her hardcore earlier that day, she wasn’t sure about Igor’s ‘nerves of steel’ when she was close to having a panic attack during her first visit. Nerves of steel? Chiyo wouldn’t go that far.

“Your rehabilitation determines if ruin can be stopped,” Igor continued. “Yet, such a feat cannot be done by you alone. But today you entered a partnership with someone who awoke to the same power, haven’t you?”

“You mean Ryuji?”

“Involving yourself with others is an important foundation for your recovery,” Igor said. Was he dodging the question? Was that supposed to be his way of answering? “You’ve done well. That said, I am not advising the formation of superficial relationships.”

“What’d you mean?” asked Chiyo.

“It must not be of frivolity, but as a ring of those who would, by morals or faith, lend you their strength. In other words, they are bonds with those who have been robbed of their places to belong. The expansion of said ring will, in return, help you mature as well.”

Henry turned his head to face Chiyo. “Personas are the strength of the heart. The stronger the bonds that surround you the more powerful your Personas will gain. And what luck, there’s plenty of people in the city who have the talents a maggot like you doesn’t. You’d better start getting them onto your side and we can change that into power.”

“Indeed,” said Igor. “You should be prepared to use even myself, or your ambitions will not come to fruition. We have a deal then?”

Slowly, Chiyo nodded her head, yes, not wanting to let down someone who had this much faith in her. “You said ‘Personas’ earlier,” Chiyo said out loud. “As in plural?”

The familiar wail echoed across the Velvet Room. “This conversation is over,” said Henry. “Time to get back to reality, Maggot!”

###### 

**The Chariot Rank 1  
The Fool Rank 1**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Things become so much funnier to me if you add “so help me” to it. I’m pretty sure that’s from growing up on _Monsters Inc_.
> 
> Edited Chiyo’s IM portrait from the original. Much closer to what I pictured for her. It uses Kawakami as a base and I spliced bits from Akechi and Futaba. Ideally, I would have liked to include the hair scarf in her half-ponytail, but I’m also not going to bemoan its absence in a black and white image. I got the code for the chats from https://archiveofourown.org/works/8631214/chapters/21337784


	9. Chapter Eight

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **TRIGGER WARNING: Kids being cruel, vague implications that someone should kill themselves, heavily implied sexual harassment/assault from a grown man towards underage girls, and suicide attempt.**

**Chapter Eight  
Little Voices**

###### 

**_Wednesday, April 13th_ **

###### 

That afternoon, Chiyo sat beside Ryuji during the volleyball rally. She wore the school’s tracksuit; red sweatpants, a white t-shirt underneath, white track shoes, and a red track jacket. Ryuji forwent the jacket, rolled up the sleeves, and rolled his pant legs up a few times.

The match between the teachers and students felt very one-sided. Volleyball was Kamoshida’s forte, the sport in which he won an Olympic medal for Japan, naturally, he had the advantage over highschoolers. He was the teacher’s ace in the hole. It made Chiyo wonder if this was a fun school rally or a thinly veiled attempt at ego-stroking.

“Still sticks out,” Chiyo heard Ryuji mutter. “Hasn’t changed a bit.”

“Hm?”

She followed Ryuji’s gaze to find he was staring at Takamaki, who sat amongst the folding chairs in perfect view of the game. Instantly Chiyo’s thoughts went back to the cognitive Takamaki in Kamoshida’s castle. No matter how she looked at it the implications made her uncomfortable. And though Chiyo had yet to speak to Takamaki herself, she was certain Takamaki would not appreciate the cognition.

The commotion on the volleyball court caught Chiyo’s attention. Kamoshida had just spiked the ball into the opposite side of the court at full-force. It ended up slamming smack into the face of the quiet, downtrodden boy Chiyo recognized from class.

He fell back, bringing the game to a complete halt. Murmurs were heard around Chiyo as Kamoshida called for someone to take the boy to the nurse’s office. “Bastard,” Chiyo uttered under her breath. “If that was an accident, I’m laying golden eggs next month.”

Ryuji took the stray volleyball into his hand and threw it out to the court. “He’ll pay soon enough.”

After that stunt, they left the gym and Ryuji lead Chiyo to the vending machines outside in the courtyard. There was a brief discussion between the two, going over their game plan. While they could have covered more ground in less time, they decided that splitting up wasn’t the best way to go with Chiyo still recognizing and trying to place names with faces. The downside side was that either one of them could have ended up turning anyone away. But together… Well, it was bad enough that Ryuji was popping up with the two of them hanging out lately.

The boys they talked to were all banged up and damaged in one way or another. Chiyo knew injuries came with the athletic life, how many times had she injured herself training after all? How many sprained or twisted ankles? How many times did she dislocate something? It was to be expected. But the injuries on these boys were the type of injuries you’d see on a very special episode about bullying.

If there was any good news, the boys were willing to respond to their questions. But, despite the truth written all over their face and in their eyes, no one wanted to admit to Kamoshida’s abuse. Chiyo tried to come across as understanding and patient. More often than naught, whenever they brought up how common injuries were, Chiyo stressed that some of their injuries were too much for high school volleyball.

The conversation would often end with them using the rumors surrounding Chiyo. That she would attack one way or another. A favorite rumor was that she could and would castrate a man if they rejected her. If only because of how outlandish it sounded to her. Oh, Chiyo did not doubt there was someone like that in the world, but the thought never crossed Chiyo’s mind until it was brought up to her.

The only bit of information they received was from a first-year player. He did not confess to the abuse but mentioned the special coaching Mishima was getting. In the first-year’s opinion, it was too far.

No sooner had the first-year excused himself the announcement echoed across the school, informing the student body to prepare to leave for the day. They parted ways to change uniforms with the intent to meet up in the courtyard.

Chiyo was the first to make it to the courtyard. She passed the time by scanning the contents the vending machine had to offer. Carbonated soda… Now there was something strictly off her previous diet. Too much sugar, Ryou used to say whenever Chiyo asked for a soda when she was younger. _“You don’t want to become fat and ugly, do you?”_

“Hey, can we talk for a sec?”

Chiyo whirled around to find Takamaki, still in her gym uniform, standing behind her. “Depends,” Chiyo said cautiously.

“It’ll be quick,” said Takamaki. She crossed her arms over her chest, studying Chiyo briefly. “Anyway, what’s with you? Like, how you were late the other day was a lie and all. There’s those weird rumors about you too.”

“And whaddya want with her?”

Both girls looked to find Ryuji approaching the pair. “Right back at you!” Takamaki shot back. “You’re not even in our class.”

“We just…” Ryuji paused for a moment before replying, “happened to get to know each other.”

“You do know there are rumors about the two of you meeting up in love hotels, right? I’d watch my choice of words if I were you.”

“We’re not-” Ryuji’s face flushed briefly. “Was there something you wanted?”

“What’re you planning on doing to Kamoshida-sensei?”

Chiyo bit on her knuckle; of course, they couldn’t go through with questioning everyone unnoticed. The Violent Whore and the Track Traitor talking to different members of the volleyball team about Kamoshida. That was bound to raise a few questions. Amongst the student body, it didn’t bother Chiyo much. But what if the staff used this as an excuse to kick her out?

“Oh, I getcha,” Ryuji said bitterly. “You’re all buddy-buddy with Kamoshida after all.”

A flash of anger lit up in Takamaki’s eyes. “That has nothing to do with you, Sakamoto!”

“If you found out what he’s been doin’ behind your back, you’d dump him right away.”

The anger in Takamaki’s eyes vanished, she took a step back. “Behind my back…?” she repeated slowly. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

Ryuji shook his head. “You wouldn’t get it.”

“Anyway,” Takamaki threw a glance at Chiyo, “people are already talking about you two. About school things. I don’t know what you’re trying to pull, but no one’s gonna help you. I’m warning you… just in case. That’s all…”

She walked off before either of them could say anything else. The ordeal left Ryuji kicking at a random stone on the ground. “Why’s she gotta be so aggressive all the time?” he asked no one in particular.

Chiyo asked, “You know her?”

“We just went to the same middle school. But that’s not what we’re here to talk about. We gotta find Mishima before he leaves.”

“He’s the one who Kamoshida spiked, right? I recognize him from class. He always looks so beaten up.”

“Wouldn’t be too surprised if that’s the result of his ‘special coaching.’”

###### 

Luckily they found Mishima at the school entrance, he had changed out of his gym uniform and looked like he was ready to leave. There was evidence of a bloody nose on his face, dried blood that hadn’t been properly washed away by his nostrils. “Hey,” Ryuji called as he and Chiyo approached him, “you got a second?”

One look at Chiyo nearly made Mishima shrink. It wouldn’t have surprised her if he was more than a tad spooked by the rumors surrounding her. But on the other hand, he was willing to help her find the roof the other day. But then again that could’ve been because he was too afraid to ignore her. In the end, Chiyo didn’t know either way and she wasn’t getting anywhere playing a mental game of ping pong.

“We just have a few questions,” said Chiyo.

With his arms crossed over his chest, Ryuji leaned in towards Mishima. “Kamoshida’s been ‘coaching’ you, huh? You sure it’s not just physical abuse?”

Mishima froze for a moment before he turned his gaze away from the pair. “Certainly not!”

“What’re you talkin’ all polite for?” Ryuji asked under his breath.

“We just saw him spike you right in the face,” said Chiyo.

“That’s…” Mishima’s voice took on a miserable tone. “That was because I’m not good at the sport…”

“That’s hardly an excuse!” Mishima flinched when Chiyo raised her voice. Seeing the reaction, Chiyo toned it down. “And-And what about those other bruises you have?”

“They’re from practice! They happen!”

“Not to this extent.”

“Look,” Ryuji spoke up n a hushed tone, “is he forcin’ you to keep quiet?”

“What’s going on here?” Kamoshia asked, approaching the group. “Mishima, isn’t it time for practice?”

Mishima turned his eyes down at the floor. “I-I’m not feeling well today…” he said just above a whisper.

“What?” Kamoshida spat. “Maybe you’re better off quitting then. You’re never going to improve that crappy form unless you show up to practice.”

Glowering, Chiyo crossed her arms. “He might not be up for it because someone spiked him in the face. Surprised he didn’t break his nose.”

There was a twitch in Kamoshida’s brow that did not go unnoticed by Chiyo. Nor did the glint in his eye. The contradiction made it difficult for Chiyo to tell if he hated her and everything he thought she was or not. “Accidents happen in the world of sports, Kusakaba-chan,” he said with an off-putting grin. The attempt at familiarly caused the hair on the back of Chiyo’s neck to stand up on end. “I would think you, of all people, would know that.” The grin, thankfully, died after that. “If Mishima can’t handle it, then he shouldn’t be playing.”

Ryuji snapped, “He said he ain’t feelin’ well!”

“I’ll go…”

Chiyo and Ryuji turned towards Mishima, who was looking as miserable as ever. “Very well, then.” Kamoshida turned his attention towards Ryuji and Chiyo. “As for you two, any more trouble and you’ll be gone from this school for sure. Didn’t the principal tell you to keep in line, Kusakabe-chan? All these unsettling rumors are making the students anxious, after all.”

Once again, Kamoshida’s words contradicted the look he gave her. It was like she was a potential conquest to him. Something he had to dissect to understand… to control… Her skin was beginning the crawl the more she thought about it.

No. She already let someone else’s actions control her. She wouldn’t let anyone else do it again. “Can’t imagine how they spread this fast.” Chiyo turned a hardened gaze on Kamoshida. “Only the staff could’ve known.”

His brow furrowing, Kamoshida crossed his arms over his chest. “Why don’t I like that look in your eye?” He shook his head, ridding himself of useless thoughts. “Let’s go, Mishima.”

“Asshole,” Ryuji uttered as soon as Kamoshida was out of earshot. “He’s gonna pay for this!”

“There’s no point,” Mishima said miserably.

“What’re you talking about?” asked Chiyo.

“Proving that he’s physically abusing us… it’s meaningless. Everybody knows… The principal, our parents… They all know and they all keep quiet about it.”

“What…?”

Ryuji said in one breath, “This has gotta be a joke…”

“Don’t be a pain!” Mishima snapped breaking away from that polite tone he used earlier. “You don’t understand what I’m going through. Shouldn’t you of all people know that nothing’s going to help, Sakamoto?!”

Ryuji visibly flinched, something Mishima took as enough of an answer. He took off before either Ryuji or Chiyo could say anything else. Chiyo bit her lower lip, briefly wondering what would have happened if they had physical evidence. The way Mishima spoke, even physical evidence wouldn’t have helped much. As soon as it was out of their hands, it would likely be gone.

“Now what?” Chiyo asked miserably.

“I’ll… try one more time to persuade the other guys,” Ryuji said at length. “That’s… That’s all I can do.”

Feeling dejected, Chiyo went upstairs to retrieve her bag. She was walking out of the front doors, slinging her bag over her shoulder when she looked up. The sight of Niijima directly in front of her path could have caused Chiyo to jump out of her skin. “Uh… Senpai… the way out’s that way,” Chiyo said, pointing at the front gate.

“I’ve been hearing some interesting rumors today, Kusakabe-san,” Niijima said plainly. Absently, she guided a lock of hair behind her ear. “I can tell for myself that a fair amount of them are highly exaggerated. I sincerely doubt Principal Kobyakawa would have ever allowed you through his doors if the rumors regarding murder and castration were remotely true.”

Shrugging, Chiyo gave Niijima a lopsided grin. “I mean, you’re right, but those are the fun ones.”

Niijima’s brow furrowed, unimpressed with Chiyo’s little quip. “The point of the matter is, I’m not concerned about those rumors. At the moment anyway. What does concern me is the word going around that you and Ryuji Sakamoto are trying to slander Kamoshida-sensei.”

“Slander?” Chiyo repeated tiredly.

“I understand you’re still new, Kusakabe-san,” Niijima said with a surprisingly gentle tone. “But understand that Kamoshida-sensei has done so much for our school-”

“He’s an abusive ass,” Chiyo said plainly.

“Excuse me?”

Niijima’s red-brown eyes appeared to shrink as soon as Chiyo mentioned the word ‘abuse.’ “Oh, don’t tell me you’re that blind!” Chiyo ranted. “Those poor volleyball players are far more banged up than they should be!”

The brunette’s head turned, her gaze fell downward. “I-I didn’t say…”

Mishima’s words bounced around in Chiyo’s head. If the Principal knew about Kamoshida’s abuses, then it stood to reason that Niijima knew. Which likely meant she was going to try and talk Chiyo and Ryuji out of their plight.

She walked around Niijima, biting back a scoff. “H-Hey!” her senpai called as Chiyo headed downstairs. Niijima followed a few steps. “I’m not done talking with you!”

“Well, _I’m_ done talking with _you_!”

###### 

Chiyo returned to Leblanc with a couple of packages of cup ramen. Though Sojiro had yet to outright say it she was pretty certain it was going to be up to her to feed herself. She was downstairs, waiting for the noodles to soften when her phone started to vibrate. Ryuji had just sent her an IM.

|  Hey, this doesn’t make any damn sense.  
---|---  
  
So he didn’t have any more luck with the rest of the team, then.

|  The principal and even the parents know about the abuse.  
---|---  
|  Why ain’t anybody speaking up?!  
  
Chiyo tilted her head back, mulling over her choice of words for a moment. She took a quick slurp of her noodles before she sent back;

‘That follower?’ It didn’t really look like Takamaki was following with very much devotion from where Chiyo was standing. She took another bite of ramen, then replied;

| They keep going on about how prestigious Shujin is, right?  
---|---  
| And that’s in part of Kamoshida’s volleyball team.  
| So long are appearances are favorable, adults don’t care what happens to the kids they’re supposed to be teaching.  
| The school clearly doesn’t care if students are getting hurt unless it’s affecting THEIR social standing.  
| Same with parents. So long as their child is viewed as perfect it doesn’t matter…  
| Even if you’re on to something, that don’t give Kamoshida the right to do whatever he wants!  
| He’s beating kids up, and all they’re allowed to do is endure.  
| And that follower of his doesn’t give one single shit…  
| You mean Takamaki?  
---|---  
| Yeah, you had to have heard the rumors by now.  
| She’s in your class ‘n all.  
| Ugh! What a load of bull!  
| I can’t let it end like this.  
| I’m gonna try and find someone who knows about what’s going on with Kamoshida during break tomorrow.  
| Just you watch, I ain’t giving up!  
  
Chiyo couldn’t say she doubted it.

###### 

**_Thursday, April 14th_ **

###### 

“Did you see Kamoshida-sensei play yesterday? He was so awesome! I think I might ask for his autograph after school.”

“I dunno if that’s such a good idea… I hear that you shouldn’t go near the PE faculty office. People say you can hear weird sounds, like screaming, even though no one’s there…”

“What? That’s probably just a rumor spread by fans to scare the competition.”

Chiyo made the last leg to Shujin biting back several yawns. She walked into class with one hand covering her mouth, the other holding onto the straps of her bag. Approaching her desk, Chiyo failed to notice a couple of her classmates talking amongst themselves. Perhaps it would have prepared her for what she was about to see.

She heard about this sort of thing all the time. But Chiyo always thought it was just something that happened in media especially in today’s digital world. In hindsight, it was a horribly naive assumption, and she hated herself for not realizing the obvious sooner.

With her arms hanging limp at her sides, Chiyo allowed her bag to slide off her shoulder. The whispering and morning chatter was drowned out by the ringing in her ears. 

Someone had vandalized her desk. Pencil and marker scrawls marked the surface of the desk in a mix of kanji and English. _‘Whore.’ ‘Slut.’ ‘Just leave already.’ ‘Ugly.’ ‘You’re not fooling anyone.’ ‘Die.’_

Just like before.

_‘So do I pay upfront or can I plow that pussy first?’_

_‘No one wants you here. Do everyone a favor and just die already.’_

_‘Bet you can fuck me with your mouth.’_

_‘Open up dirty slut!’_

_‘Die.’_

_‘Die.’_

_‘Die.’_

_‘Die already.’_

What an idiot she was, thinking things would be better at a new school. Thinking it would just stop. Thinking she could just shrug off everything they hurled at her. 

_‘Don’t cry. Don’t cry, don’t cry, don’t cry.’_ Damn it, that was what they wanted…

Arms wrapped around herself, Chiyo’s shoulder shuttered, her vision became blurry with tears. 

Hardcore? What a fucking joke.

Still hugging herself, Chiyo kept her head down and sprinted out of the room. She bumped into someone a couple of paces outside the classroom. If they said something, Chiyo couldn’t hear over the blood rushing in her ears. She only looked up to find where the restrooms were, and headed straight for the girl's room, unaware she bumped into Takamaki.

The blonde girl watched the transfer student’s retreating form, seeing the tremble in her shoulders. It wasn’t until Takamaki approached her desk that she noticed the transfer student's bag abandoned on the floor and the writing on the surface of her desk.

Goddamn assholes.

###### 

It was getting harder and harder to force herself to come to school every day. More and more Shiho was tempted to just skip school and take refuge in a cat cafe. The only thing that kept her from fulfilling that fantasy was the trouble it would cause. She’d lose her starting position, the school would more than likely call her parents…

Why didn’t they see?

Why was her younger brother the only one who noticed how Shiho came home unable to move around the house without bracing herself against something? Didn’t her mom notice the bruises? 

Why couldn’t Ann see?

She hurried into the restroom, not caring if class had already started. 

He smiled at her. That same easy-going look he gave the other teachers. The same one he gave her when he was doing an ‘assessment.’

Approaching the sink, Shiho turned the faucet on, gathered a bit of cold water in her hands, and splashed it into her face. She kept her palms plastered over her eyes, her breathing steadily grew steady, but it did nothing to stop the goose flesh on her arms, or the trembling in her hands. 

The year just started and Shiho was already at her wit's end. How was she supposed to give teammates like Noya advice or comfort her after ‘assessments’ when Shiho was barely holding on?

She heard something like plastic hit against the floor, and immediately whipped around almost feeling her face pale. A girl sat in the far corner outside the stalls. Her knees pulled up to her chest, her head buried in her arms. A pair of thick-framed glasses landed upside down, one of the stems sticking up. How hadn’t Shiho noticed her before?

For that matter, how hadn’t the girl noticed Shiho?

Slowly, she approached the girl, noticing the tremble in her body. Maybe this was a bad idea…

No sooner did the thought crosses Shiho’s mind, her hand was already on the girl’s shoulder. She looked up, eyes red with tears, her face blotchy and her pale grey hair was sticking to her face. This must have been the transfer student everyone was talking about. The one who attacked a man after he refused to spend time with her for money. Like this, she looked so much like…

Without saying anything, Shiho took the transfer student's glasses into one hand and helped the girl onto her feet. She lead the girl to one of the sinks and placed her glasses on the edge. “Bend your head over,” Shiho instructed, turning on the faucet.

Obediently, if not somewhat bewildered, the girl gathered her hair in one hand and bent over. Carefully, Shiho brought handfuls of water to the girl's face, hoping she was getting enough to the girl’s eyes. The girl didn’t lift her head until Shiho turned the faucet off, Shiho turned to get a couple of paper towels, and turned back to find the had found her glasses. Silently, she handed the girl the paper towels, she silently dried her face. Evidence of her tears were fainter now, the red in her cheeks had gone down.

The girl placed her glasses back on, an awkward silence fell upon them. The transfer student kept her eyes down, her weight shuffled from one leg to the next. “You don’t look familiar,” Shiho began. “You wouldn’t happen to be that transfer student from Class D, would you?”

The girl bit her lower lip, hugging herself with one arm. “Y-Yeah…” she forced out.

Shiho figured as much. “This… might not be any of my business,” she mimicked the transfer student’s body language, “but don’t let the rumors get to you, okay…?”

“Huh?”

“Well, I’ve helped with a similar situation before… My best friend is often misunderstood too, all because of her looks… Sorry. I didn’t mean to drag on like that.”

“It’s okay,” the girl murmured. “Really. Thanks for your concern.”

“A-Anyway, I have to get to class. I’ll see you around.”

###### 

When Chiyo returned to class, she nearly ran into Mishima at the door. As soon as he saw her his eyes widened briefly, and his eyes immediately turned to the floor. Chiyo glanced down to find a damp towel in Mishima’s hand. When she returned to her desk, she found her bag waiting for her on her seat and the surface of her desk clean of the writing. She was technically late, but Kawakami pretended not to notice.

During afternoon class Chiyo received an IM from Ryuji. Carefully taking it out, she hid it under the shadow of her desk.

| So about witnesses…  
---|---  
| I was wondering if we could get something outta Takamaki.  
  
Chiyo bit her lower lip as she thought about her reply. Based on rumors and what she herself witnessed Takamaki was ‘with’ Kamoshida. But from where Chiyo stood Takamaki was rather hesitant about it. Maybe she would be willing to share a few things if she really wasn’t into it.

| Because she's ‘with’ Kamoshida?  
---|---  
|  No, that ain’t why.  
|  Just hear me out.  
| You know how we didn’t get a thing outta the volleyball team?  
| Yes, I know how.  
| I figured it’d be a good idea to talk to someone who knows them.  
|  Takamaki’s BFF’s with a starter. A girl named Suzui.  
|  I tried to talk to that girl during break, but I got nothing.  
|  That’s why we should have Takamaki talk to her.  
| Then again, I guess it’d be hard getting her to help us…  
| It wouldn’t hurt to try, would it?  
| It’s like you said, she’s with Kamoshida.  
| And she told us not to get involved yesterday.  
| Sorry. Lemme see what else I can come up with.  
  
###### 

“Shouldn’t you be heading to volleyball?” Ann asked politely. She was, once again, in the courtyard with Shiho, getting their talk in before one or the other had to leave for whatever reason. Shiho kept her gaze on her hands in her lap. She hadn’t been speaking as much as she used to recently. Ann told herself Shiho was simply getting worn out from practice. “That bruise above your eye… Is that from practice, too?”

“Y-Yeah…”

“Are you sure you’re not pushing yourself too hard?”

Shiho tried to smile. “I’m okay… Volleyball’s the only thing I can do right…” Ann was about to ask where this was coming from when her phone started to go off. “Shouldn’t you take that?” asked Shiho.

“It’s probably just my part-time job,” Ann said before quickly adding, “I think.”

Slowly, Shiho nodded in response. “I… should get going.”

“Shiho…” Ann said quietly. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

“Of course.” Her friend stood up and took off before Ann could inquire any further.

Left alone, Ann pulled out her phone and placed it by her ear. “Yes? … Today won’t work… I’m… I’m not feeling so good… Sorry… Bye.”

Heading off to collect her things, Ann placed her phone back in her pocket. She ignored the boys she walked past as they headed to the vending machine.

“Hey, wasn’t that Takamaki?”

“Rumor has it she’s dating Kamoshida.”

“Seriously?”

“I heard people saw them in his car together.”

“You know… she seems pretty easy, huh? You think I’d have a chance, too?”

“C’mon dude, you can’t go after Kamoshida’s bitch! You’d have better luck with that transfer student.”

“No way, man! They say she kills the guys who piss her off!”

What a load…

###### 

Ryuji wanted to speak with her after school in the courtyard. With her bag laced over her shoulder, Chiyo headed towards the door, half-expecting Ryuji to reveal he turned up with nothing again. She found Ryuji by the vending machines moments later, his arms crossed over his chest and foot tapping impatiently. “No luck,” Chiyo guessed.

He surprised her by slamming his fists against one of the machines. “All of ‘em kept sayin’ the same shit Mishima was talkin’ about! Kamoshida must have told ‘em something! At this rate… it looks like we’ll have to go to him directly…”

“That’s suicide,” Chiyo said bluntly.

“I know, but I can’t think of anything else. No way I’m gonna give in like this! Can’t you think of anything?”

Chiyo held her arm in one hand as she gripped her chin in thought. Being as direct as they could at the moment wasn’t getting them anywhere. “The best way to handle this situation is a sneak attack.”

“That’d be fine if we could do it without gettin’ caught,” said Ryuji, “but... If we did, we’d be seriously done for.”

“But we have a way of going in without getting caught!” Chiyo realized. Her heart started to pound so much she could hear it in her ears. Why didn’t they consider it before? “The king’s overdue for a little coup d'état.”

“A… what?”

“We overthrow the king.”

Chiyo could have started bouncing in place when she saw the gears turning in Ryuji’s head. “You mean the other world’s Kamoshida?” he asked in a hushed tone.

She shook her head vigorously. “It’s Kamoshida’s inner heart, or whatever, right? If we could mess with it, maybe it’ll affect the Kamoshida in reality.” Her bravado died immediately when she realized the gaping hole in the plan. “But… we still don’t know much about that world… We’d need Morgana’s help again. Crap…”

“I heard my name!” shouted a familiar boyish voice. “I finally found you!”

“You say something?” Ryuji asked Chiyo.

“Did that sound _remotely_ like me?”

Suddenly, a black cat with white patches of fur around its muzzle, paws, and the tip of its tail wearing a yellow collar ran into the courtyard. The feline effortlessly leaped onto the roundtable for students to use after school and during break. “Don’t think you can get away with not paying me back for helping you!” a familiar voice asserted from the cat’s direction.

Chiyo’s bag slid down her arm when she leaped back. The cat’s coloration, its voice, even the yellow collar… “No way.”

“That voice…” Ryuji said with a shaky voice. “Is that you, Morgana?!”

“How dare you, up and leaving me yesterday!” the cat ranted, still using Morgana’s voice.

“The cat’s talkin’?!”

Hair standing up on end along his back, Morgana turned to face Ryuji. “Not a cat!” he asserted. “This is just what happened when I came to this world! It was a lot of trouble finding you two.”

“Wait… You came to our world?!” questioned Ryuji. “Does that mean you’ve got a phone?!”

Despite Morgana’s assertion that he wasn’t a cat, he sat himself down and started licking one of his front paws. “You don’t need one when you’re at my level,” he said haughtily. “I did get pretty lost making my escape though…”

“That aside,” began Ryuji, “why can you talk?! You’re a cat!”

“How should I know?!”

“Though I do suppose this draws in less attention than your other form,” Chiyo noted under her breath.

“Sounds like you guys are having a rough time of this, hm?” Morgana asked, scratching his ear with his back leg. “I heard you mention something about witnesses.”

“Oh, shuddup,” spat Ryuji.

“You know, I could tell you a thing or two about what to do about Kamoshida. Though, Four Eyes was pretty close just a moment ago.”

“Still not my name,” said Chiyo. “So there is something we can do in there to affect reality?”

A silence came over the group as a couple of teachers Chiyo didn't recognize came walking by within earshot.

“We really have to be looking for a cat at a busy time like this?” she heard.

“I just heard a meow somewhere near here. Didn’t you hear it?”

“Make sure you check every nook and cranny around.”

“Meow?” Ryuji asked in a hushed tone. “Does that mean only us two can understand what you’re sayin’?”

“Looks like it. We’ll have to take this conversation elsewhere.” Chiyo placed her bag on the table. “Here, climb in.”

She could feel the added weight of Morgana on her shoulder when she laced her arm through the straps. Chiyo followed Ryuji through the school, up to the roof. Along the way, there were several whispers about Ryuji being the first one to ‘get’ Chiyo, with some wondering whether or not she had standards.

On the roof Chiyo gently dropped her bag, allowing Morgana to climb out. “So,” Ryuji said, not bothering to beat around the bush, “you said you know how we can do something about Kamoshida, right?”

Before he answered, Morgana stretched out his back. “It has to do with what Chiyo was talking about earlier,” he explained. “You’ll need to attack his castle.”

“What do you mean?”

“That castle is how Kamoshida views this school.”

“Right.” Chiyo nodded. “We got that.”

“He doesn’t realize what happens in there, but it’s deeply connected to the depths of his heart. Thus, if the castle disappears, it would naturally impact the real Kamoshida.”

“What’d happen then?” Ryuji crossed his arms.

“A Palace is a manifestation of a person’s distorted desires. So, if that castle were no more…”

Chiyo’s brow rose. “He wouldn’t have those desires anymore…”

“Exactly! You sure pick up things fast!”

“For real?! We do this and he turns good?” Slowly, Ryuji’s brow creased together, a thought dawned on him. “But… is that really gettin’ back at him?”

“Erasing a Palace essentially means forcing the owner to have a change of heart,” explained Morgana. “However, even though their warped wants disappear, the crimes they committed remain. Kamoshida will become unable to bear the weight of those crimes, and he’ll confess them himself!”

“You for real?! That’s possible?!”

Chiyo’s hand hovered in front of her mouth in wonder. “How perfect would that be?” she said in a hushed tone. “The school won’t do anything, no one will say anything… What better way to take him down than have him confess to his crimes?”

“And since the Palace will no longer exist, he’ll forget what we did there as well,” Morgana purred. “Not only will we be able to bring Kamoshida down, but there won’t be even a trace of your involvement.”

Ryuji exclaimed, “That’s amazing! You are one incredible cat!”

“True. Except for the cat part!”

“But how do we get rid of the Palace?” Chiyo asked.

“By stealing the Treasure held within,” Morgana said with a low but still whimsical voice.

“Stealing?” Ryuji echoed.

“I’ll tell you more once you agree to go ahead with this. It’s my most valuable, secret plan, after all. If you want to help me out, I’ll gladly teach you. What’s your call?”

“Our luck’s runnin’ dry lookin’ for witnesses.” Ryuji turned his head in Chiyo’s direction. “Guess we have no choice but to go along…”

“And it does seem like the perfect plan,” Chiyo agreed.

“Good.” Morgana purred happily. He shook his head, which traveled down to his backside. “Oh, right. There’s one more thing I should tell you. If we erase a Palace, there’s no doubt that the person’s distorted desires will be erased as well. But desires are what we all need in order to survive. The will to sleep, eat, fall in love – those sort of things.”

“What’re you gettin’ at?” asked Ryuji.

“If all those yearnings were to vanish, they’d be no different than someone who has shut down entirely.”

Blood turning cold, Chiyo’s hand balled into a fist in front of her mouth. Her heart was pounding in her chest again, but not out of some joy, some realization, but of dread. “S-So what you’re saying is…”

“They may very well die,” finished Morgana, “if they’re not given proper care.”

The plan really was too good to be true. As much as Chiyo wanted Kamoshida out of the school, was she willing to stoop to murder, even accidental murder, to do it? Kamoshida was a world-class ass, no doubt, but was that enough of a reason to play god with someone else’s life?

She glanced over at Ryuji, she could see the conflicting emotion on his face. The doubt. The second-guessing. “Would their death be our fault?” Ryuji asked his voice shaking like a leaf.

“Aren’t you determined enough to face those kinds of risks?” Morgana said coldly.

“How can you be so casual about that?!” Chiyo demanded, her arms partially outstretched and fingers spread. “We want him out of the job, sure, but at the price of death? That’s opening a whole slew of moral and ethical questions.”

“Sheesh…” Morgana’s eyes rolled. “I come all this way, and this is what I get. It’s not like anyone will ever find out.”

“That’s not the point!” Ryuji snapped. “If we go around secretly doin’ whatever the fuck we want, we’d be no better than Kamoshida…”

“Isn’t this your only option?” Morgana challenged. Letting out another sigh he said, far calmer now, “I’ll come back later. Make sure you’ve made your decision by then.”

Shaking himself over once more, Morgana took off running. He climbed up the chain-link fence onto the parapet on the opposite side. “Goddammit!” Ryuji kicked at the ground. “We’re gettin’ all worked up for nothing…”

Chiyo rubbed her temple. “I know… If there wasn’t the threat of death, it’d be no question but… I mean, even if he died, wouldn’t his crimes go with him?”

“I’ll try and see if I can figure out another way… Let’s just get outta here.”

###### 

Hey, I heard something that got my attention.

About that Suzui girl… Looks like rumors are going around about her and Kamoshida.

If they’re true, it’s no wonder I couldn’t get her to talk.

Still, something about that doesn’t seem right.

What do you mean?

It’s nothing so clear-cut, but…

I’ve known Takamaki and Suzui since middle school.

There’s just no way Kamoshida’s their type, y’know?

Actually I don’t. I don’t know them.

Take my word for it. He ain’t their type.

Still. I gotta wonder where those rumors came from.

Well, whatever. I’ll try asking around some more.

Chiyo had just made it to the Ginza line when Ryuji sent her an IM. Had she felt more confident about finding her way around the station, she would have texted while she walked. But that was not the case; she stopped while they chatted. Now finished, she continued her trek into Shibuya station square.

She wasn’t sure what she was going to do when she returned to Leblanc. Though with each passing day she was growing more and more tempted to try a cup of coffee.

“Will you please give it a rest?! I told you, I’m not feeling up to it!”

Startled, Chiyo followed the source of the voice to find Takamaki. From the looks and sounds of it, she was in the middle of a very heated phone conversation. “Wait, what?!” Takamaki gasped. “That’s not what you promised! And you call yourself a teacher?! … This has nothing to do with Shiho!”

Chiyo watched as Takamaki lowered her arm, the phone along with it. She crouched down to hug her knees close to her. She heard Takamaki say something, but couldn’t quite make out what exactly. Fully aware it could go very bad, very fast, Chiyo slowly approached Takamaki. “Um…”

Takamaki turned her head, seeing Chiyo standing in front of her, she quickly shot to her feet and took a couple of steps back. “We-Were you listening?”

“Sorry…” Chiyo turned her gaze from her.

“Haven’t you heard of privacy?!” Takamaki snapped. Her eyes softened when she noticed Chiyo’s flinch. “No… That was out of line. Sorry… So how much did you hear?”

“Something about your friend.”

“It’s nothing at all.”

“You don’t end a call like that over nothing.”

“I said it was nothing!”

Takamaki took off on the verge of tears. Instantly, Chiyo broke out after her into the Underground Walkway. Down a flight of stairs, down a flight of escalators. Takamaki must have known Chiyo had given chase when she finally stopped she turned on her heel to face Chiyo. “Stop following me…” she pleaded. “Just leave me alone!”

“Calm down,” Chiyo said seemingly unphased by Takamaki’s outburst, “you’re going to get yourself worked up at this rate.”

Takamaki’s jaw fell open slightly, clearly not expecting something like that from someone of Chiyo’s reputation. “Why…?” she asked weakly. “Why do you keep worrying about me?”

“Because you look like you could use a shoulder,” Chiyo said simply. “And I have the time.”

Instantaneously Takamaki’s eyes watered. Her head bent lower, her shoulder shook, allowing herself to release the sob. “Why don’t we go somewhere safe,” Chiyo suggested.

Takamaki looked up to stare at Chiyo with tear-tracks visible on her cheeks. “What the heck?” she asked in a weak, resigned tone. “I really don’t get you…”

“What’s there to get?”

Despite her insistence for Chiyo to leave her alone, they found themselves at the nearest diner. Both had ordered a cup of ice water. But as soon as the waitress left, Takamaki finally spoke up. “I don’t have anything to talk about with you.” She turned her head, avoiding eye contact with the girl in front of her. “It was just an argument…”

“With… Kamoshida?” Chiyo asked tentatively, hoping she didn’t overstep her boundaries.

“You’ve heard the rumors… haven’t you?” Takamaki held her head in one hand. “About Kamoshida-sensei. Everyone says we’re getting it on. But… that’s so not true..! That was him on the other line. I avoided giving him my number… for the longest time… He told me to go to his place after this… You know what it means.”

She grabbed the napkin she was playing around with, holding it in her grip until her knuckles turned white. Chiyo remained respectfully silent, waiting for Takamaki to make her piece. “If I turn him down, he said he’d take my friend off as a regular on the team,” Takamaki’s voice started to warble. A new slew of tears welled up in her eyes. “He’s been talking to me about this for months. Since last year. I’ve been telling myself this is all for Shiho’s sake, but…” She sat back in her seat, avoiding eye contact with Chiyo. “I can’t take it anymore…”

Chiyo’s sympathies went out to Takamaki. Sure, Chiyo had dealt with her own brand of slut-shaming and harassment back home. But all of that ended with a new phone and when she came to Tokyo, for the most part anyway. But Takamaki… The way she talked made it sound like she was stuck between a rock and a hard place. She couldn’t help her appearance, and now she was being harassed by a man who should have known better.

“I’ve had enough of this… I hate him! But still… Shiho’s my best friend.” Takamaki’s voice warbled farther as the floodgates were torn down. “ _I hate him!_ She’s all I have left at that sorry excuse for a school!” She took a moment to breathe, calming down slightly with tears still in her eyes. “Tell me… What should I do?”

Blinking twice, Chiyo turned her gaze down at the table, her hands gripped the fabric of her skirt under the table. She thought back to Morgana’s suggestion about a change of heart, it was growing in temptation with each thing Chiyo discovered. But the threat of death hung over her like a dark rain cloud. If they went through with it and Kamoshida died, wouldn’t he go beloved? Wasn’t the risk worth it?

Takamaki’s breathing shutter for a moment. She looked straight ahead at Chiyo, tears in her eyes, suddenly bewildered at what just happened. “Sorry…” Takamaki dried her eyes with the heel of her palm. “I shouldn’t have asked. It’s not your problem, and it sounds like you have enough of your own.” She sighed. “What am I even saying? I’ve barely even talked to you before…”

“But you did need someone to talk to,” Chiyo pointed out. She ran her right thumb across the center of her left palm under the table. She paused when her thumb was met with the central scar. While everything else she did hurt, when Chiyo had done this one she came close to begging Ryou to take her to a doctor. She was still surprised that it wasn’t infected.

Once again, Takamaki’s jaw fell open in disbelief. “You’re a weird one,” she said plainly. “Usually everyone just ignores me.”

Chiyo shrugged and gave Takamaki a lopsided grin. Takamaki released a breathy scoff. “You really don’t seem as bad as the rumors say you are,” she said.

“Ah, my favorite so far have been the ones about castrating men who reject me,” said Chiyo.

Another breathy scoff from Takamaki, even her shoulders shook. So far it was the closest Chiyo had gotten to making her laugh. “I kinda had a feeling they were all just exaggerations,” she said. “You seemed lonely that first day – almost like you didn’t belong anywhere… And then this morning… I saw what they did.”

Chiyo looked down at the table, avoiding eye contact with Takamaki. It was as though looking at her would confirm how on the mark Takamaki was. “We’re the same in that regard,” said Takamaki. “Maybe that’s why it was so easy for me to talk to you.” She paused for a moment and rested her head in her hand again. “Is there really no way for me to help Shiho…? I wish he’d just change his mind… Like, forget about me, and everything…”

“Well, from an outsider’s perspective,” said Chiyo, “it sounds like you and your friend could use a nice, honest conversation.”

Takamaki’s eyes turned towards Chiyo, staring at her for a moment before she sat back in her seat. “I suppose,” she admitted. “But with the tournament coming up, I might not be able to until after.”

“And… you never know. Kamoshida could give it up.”

“Have I already mentioned you’re a weird one? But I do feel a bit better now. I’m gonna head home.” She finished up her glass, shrugged her bag over her shoulder, then stood up. “Don’t tell anyone what I told you, okay?”

“Hey, I know as well as you how bad these things can get if they’re released to the public.”

“I’ll try and think of a way to persuade Kamoshida. And… Well, thanks.”

###### 

“Suzui!”

Shiho glanced over her shoulder to find Mishima half-jogging up to her. “Are you leaving?” he asked.

“What is it?”

Mishima refused to look her in the eye. “Kamoshida-sensei is asking for you,” he said. “He’s in the PE faculty office.”

Shiho felt her blood run cold. “What did he say?”

“I don’t know. I… I have to go.”

Shiho looked down at her hands, which were shaking. She didn’t like how Kamoshida was looking at her the last time he called on her. The look in his eye… It made Shiho’s skin crawl. Maybe she should just pretend she never got the message and head home.

But then that dark little voice whispered in her ear. If Shiho just left, Kamoshida was more than likely going to cut her off the team, and where would that get her?

Nowhere.

Volleyball was all she was good for after all.

###### 

**_Friday, April 15th_ **

###### 

“So, I assume all of you know about the separation of powers? There are three branches in our government,” Ushimaru said during his morning lecture. “The National Diet is legislative, the Cabinet is executive, and the Supreme Court is judiciary. This division of power provides checks and balances, which ensures no one branch becomes unstoppable.”

Chiyo covered a yawn with the back of her hand. Sleep was a bit better last night in the sense that her stomach wasn’t bothering her. But the dilemma Morgana brought about yesterday was another story… It was clear to her that Takamaki didn’t want a relationship with Kamoshida, but he was pressuring her into it, using Suzui and her standing on the volleyball team to get what he wanted. It felt like each bit of new information Chiyo learned about Kamoshida was just another reason why they should take the risk.

“So,” she heard coming from her desk. “Have you made up your mind?”

Chiyo looked down to find Morgana’s head poking out from the inside of her desk. _‘How?! How?! How?!’_ Chiyo thought, trying to remain nonchalant. _‘How’d he even know this was my desk?!’_

“Come on,” Morgana insisted, ignoring the panic in Chiyo’s eyes. “No matter how much thinking you do, there’s only one option. You’d be better off listening to me.”

At the front of the room, Ushimaru paused to scan the room. “Did I hear a cat just now?”

Cautiously, Morgana eased back into Chiyo’s desk while murmurs arose amongst the class. “Could be that rumored cat somewhere nearby…” Ushimaru said to himself. “Alright, settle down! We’re in the middle of an important lecture!”

To further Chiyo’s discomfort her phone started to buzz. As soon as Ushimaru turned his back to the class to draw up a diagram Chiyo pulled out her phone and hid it under the shadow of her desk.

|  It’s no use… I can’t think of any other way…  
---|---  
|  Just concentrate on class.  
| I can’t deal with that shit right now. I mean, what’re we gonna do about Kamoshida?  
|  Do we just gotta go along with what the cat says?  
|  Urgh that damn furball…  
| He’s hiding in my desk right now…  
|  Wait, for real?!  
  
“Hey… What’s that?!”

Chiyo looked up to find one of her classmates on his feet, he was looking out the window. Those closest to him followed his gaze, their attention on something across the hall. “That’s enough,” Ushimaru ordered. “We’re in the middle of class!”

“Wait…” one of the female students uttered. “Is she... Is she going to jump?!”

Several students had risen to their feet. “Suzui?!” Mishima gasped, spotting the girl in question out the window.

Takamaki was on her feet as soon as Mishima spoke. Despite Ushimaru’s attempts to keep order students were rushing out of the room. Takamaki shoved her classmates out of her path as she ran, with Chiyo, forgetting about Morgana, following close behind.

Arriving at one of the windows Chiyo instantly recognized Suzui as the girl who helped her clean up in the restroom yesterday. She had climbed over the chain-link fence and stood at the very edge of the roof, looking down.

###### 

The wind blew her hair about as Shiho looked down from her precarious position. By now the students and staff must have seen her standing on the edge of the roof. Or maybe they didn’t. What did it matter if they saw it or not? What happened after this wouldn’t change anything, so what did it matter if anyone bore witness to it?

Shiho was steeling herself when vertigo suddenly stole her breath away. She realized just how high it was, suddenly panicked, her hand grabbed a hold of the chain-link fence. This was crazy! All she had to do was talk to her mom about what happened last night and the police would be all over Shujin. This wasn’t her only way out…

But then that ugly little voice reminded her about the bruises her mom had ignored. How everyone on the volleyball teams were donning plasters and black eyes, barely concealed bruises. But the adults around them ignored the signs. Why would this be any different? Besides, what evidence did she have now? The first thing she did when she got home was take bath. Like an idiot she washed away anything that could have incriminated Kamoshida.

And what was to stop him from doing the same thing again.

And again.

And again.

And again, and again, andagainandagainandagainandagain

She felt cold dread spreading all over, across every pour, overtaking her senses. Her breathing shuttered as Shiho let go of the fence, and turned back to the edge of the roof…

And then she leaned forward…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feels like this chapter ended up going all out as far as Trigger Warnings go…
> 
> While Akiren was able to coast by with just whispers… let’s be real, it’s different for girls. It’s a part of the reason why I had Chiyo be accused of Enjo-kōsai. Does Shido really seem like a man who’d go easy on women when ruining their lives? Even if Chiyo just had assault charges on her record any hate she would have gotten for that would have been more upfront than Akiren.
> 
> Some aspects of this chapter were a little difficult to write, mostly the implication of what Kamoshida gets up to regarding his “assessments.” I decided “assessment” still got the point across without going into detail.


	10. Chapter Nine

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **TRIGGER WARNING: Mentions of rape and threats of rape**

**Chapter Nine  
A Rebellious Bird**

###### 

**_Friday, April 15th_ **

###### 

Chiyo’s hands flew to her mouth; several students, Takamaki included, screamed as soon as Suzui threw herself off the roof. Ushimaru tried to get the students to calm down and return to class with no results. There was no getting control of the students, not after that.

Takamaki tore forward, bumping into Chiyo in her rush. Chiyo stood stone still as Takamaki disappeared down the hall and downstairs. She forced her legs to move, she had to see for herself whether or not Suzui survived the fall. Suzui would just come out of it injured, right? It wasn’t a lethal fall. She had to see for herself, not hear several conflicting stories through word of mouth.

It did not take long before Ryuji and his class filed out of their room. Meeting up with him, Chiyo grabbed onto him by the upper arm. Her hands were shaking terribly. “H-Hey!” Ryuji stuttered. He held his hands out on either side of Chiyo, unsure of what to do. “What’s goin’ on?! Everyone’s freakin’ out!”

“It’s Suzui…” Chiyo paused to swallow, her mouth had suddenly turned dry. “She just jumped off the roof!”

“Shit! She should be in the courtyard, right?!”

“I think so…”

She ushered Ryuji around before they sprinted downstairs to the first floor. In front of the courtyard exit, students were crowded around the door. Ryuji held onto Chiyo by the forearm as he pushed their way through the crowd.

Between Suzui’s fall and that very moment, someone had called an ambulance; Suzui was loaded onto a stretcher. All the while students observing the scene had their phones out, taking pictures or videos of the scene. Chiyo looked around her, incredibly tempted to smack someone’s phone out of their hand. Didn’t any one of these idiots realize what they were doing was just fucked up? Suzui could be dying and all they could do was take pictures?!

“What the fuck is wrong with these people?!” Ryuji hissed, voicing what was running through Chiyo’s mind.

“We need someone to go with her,” one of the paramedics called. “Are there any teachers around?”

“I’ll go!” Takamaki called. “I know her, I’ll go!”

The paramedic gave Takamaki an approving nod, allowing her at Suzui’s side. Takamaki knelt down beside Suzui as the paramedics prepared to load her up. “Shiho…” Takamaki whispered, barely able to hold back her tears. “Why…?”

Suzui’s eyes opened, however, her gaze was unfocused. “Ann…?” she questioned through her broken voice. “I’m sorry. I… I can’t take this… anymore…”

“What?” Takamaki lowered her ear to Suzui’s lips allowing her to tell her just why. Whatever Suzui said was heard by Takamaki alone, but her face paled as Suzui told her story. “Huh… Kamoshida?!”

Suzui lost consciousness, unable to respond to Takamaki’s follow-up questions. Between seeing her friend this broken, and the revelation she revealed to her, all Takamaki could do was scream.

Chiyo felt the need to cry as the paramedics loaded Suzui onto the back of the van. Yesterday, it seemed like Suzui would have given her a legitimate chance. She was one of the nicer students Chiyo came across. To think someone like Suzui was pushed so far over the edge…

Mishima’s panic-stricken yell had caused both Chiyo and Ryuji to whip around and spot him amongst the crowd. He broke out into a run back into the school, nearly tripping over himself in the process. One look exchanged between Ryuji and Chiyo was all it took before they gave chase after him.

###### 

They cornered Mishima. Literally. 

“Why’d you run like that?” Ryuji demanded.

If Mishima was trying to be cool and simply shrug it off, he was failing miserably. His body language, posture, eyes, all gave away the intense emotions going through him. “I didn’t run…”

“She jumped and tried to kill herself!”

“L-Leave me alone…”

“Mishima-kun, please!” Chiyo pleaded. She held a hand over her chest, as though that were enough to reassure Mishima. “If you know something you can tell us. If she dies shouldn’t her family know why?”

She heard Mishima’s sharp intake of breath. His eyes suddenly grew wide, fit to burst. Trembling something fierce, Mishima held his head in his hands. “Suzui…” he warbled, “she was called out by Kamoshida-sensei!”

“Kamoshida?!”

“I was called by him several times too… to the teacher’s room. It wasn’t just me or Suzui either. He’d nominate someone when he was in a bad mood… and hit them.”

“Oh my god…”

“So the physical punishment was for real….” murmured Ryuji.

“But yesterday,” continued Mishima, “he called Suzui out of the blue. She didn’t make any mistakes or anything… Kamoshida-sensei seemed really irritated, so it must’ve been… worse than usual…”

“That son of a bitch!” Ryuji snapped.

Without warning, Ryuji took off down the hall. And Chiyo had the sinking suspicion where he was going. She called his name and ran after him leaving Mishima alone. The boy simply watched. Balling up one hand, he followed after the pair.

Chiyo was certain she bumped into someone. But at the moment she couldn’t bring herself to care. As much as Mishima’s story angered her, as much as she hated Kamoshida at that moment, she was worried about Ryuji. She only knew him for three days, but Chiyo picked up quickly that he was not one for keeping his head level when angry. He may end up pissing off Kamoshida at this rate.

For better or worse, it did not take them long to find Kamoshida, he was working at his desk in the PE faculty office. How casual he presented himself only served to anger Chiyo further. The other teachers were trying to retain order, assure the students that there was nothing to worry about. Shouldn't Kamoshida make a token effort to care about what happened to someone on his volleyball team?

“You bastard!” Ryuji roared upon entering. “The hell did you do to that girl?!”

Kamoshida half-turned, wearing a look of contempt. “What are you talking about?”

Ryuji kicked a near-by folding chair off its legs and onto its side. “Don’t play dumb with me!”

“That’s enough!”

“What did you have Suzui come here for?” Chiyo asked, her volume controlled in comparison to Ryuji. But by the sudden deep tone she had taken, there was no mistaking her anger. “We heard she came in here yesterday. What for?”

“And why should I tell you?” Kamoshida asked. He carried a look of contempt that Chiyo couldn’t help but read as condescending.

“You ordered me to call Suzui here!” Mishima cried, holding his head in his hands again. “I can only imagine what you did to her!

“You’re going on and on about things you have no proof of,” Kamoshida said. He pushed himself away from his desk and stood up. “Basically, you’re simply making these claims because you can’t be a regular on the team, right? Even if it is exactly as you imagine it to be, hypothetically speaking… what can you do? We just received a call from the hospital. Suzui’s in a coma, and her chances of recovery are slim… How would someone like that make a statement?”

Oh, Chiyo wished those castration rumors surrounding her were remotely true at that moment. But she didn’t know anything about even cutting off a finger, let alone someone’s penis. On the other hand, would being precise about it matter right now?

“There’s no chance of her getting better, I hear,” Kamoshida continued. “The poor girl.”

Chiyo could see Ryuji trembling, just barely restraining himself from turning violent. “You goddamn…”

“This again? Does this mean we need to have yet another case of ‘self-defense?’”

“Shut your mouth, you son of a bitch!” Like lightning, Ryuji brought his fist back, gearing for the attack. A smug grin played upon Kamoshida’s lips as he simply watched the scene play out. It was like a card game, you need to know when to fold them, and when to play. Luckily Kamoshida had become quite the card shark when his opponents were the students.

“Ryuji!”

Chiyo grabbed onto her friend by the forearm, preventing him from making contact with Kamoshida. The more stubborn part of Ryuji was ready to argue. After everything this… thing had done, Suzui, the volleyball team, the track team, one punch was the least he deserved. To hell with the consequences!

But Chiyo had a look in her eyes, not unlike the one she gave him when he awakened his Persona. Eyes contracted, her brow furrowed low. Added with the cool grey color of her eyes, Chiyo had never looked so cold. There was no mistaking it, Chiyo was just as enraged as Ryuji was. She just preferred tranquil fury.

“Oh? You’re stopping him?” Kamoshida asked with the same tone of condescendence his Shadow-self possessed. “What a surprise. There’s no need to hold back. Why not attack me? Oh… but you can’t. Of course, you can’t!”

There were several things Chiyo wanted to reply with. Several comebacks, taunts. But she held back, with all her willpower, she held back. As much as she hated it, it was the wisest move she had. Anything Chiyo specifically had to say would no doubt be twisted into a threat, an innuendo, something discriminating.

Kamoshida let out a ‘tsk’ before he went back to his desk. “Everyone present right now,” he said taking a seat, “will be expelled. I’m reporting all of you at the next board meeting.”

Chiyo went cold for a moment, Sojiro’s multiple warnings smacked into her all at once. She could already hear the lecture he would give her if and when Kamoshida’s threat came to pass. _‘Not even a week in! You couldn’t even manage that!’_

“You can’t make a decision like that!” Mishima argued, finding a bit of his courage.

“Who would seriously consider what scum like you say? You threatened me too, Mishima, so you’re just as responsible.”

But wasn’t Mishima a good, decent student? Wouldn’t a sudden expulsion for him raise a few eyebrows? No sooner had Chiyo considered the thought she hated herself for missing the obvious. It was Kamoshida they were dealing with. And from what Chiyo saw of him, Kobayakawa certainly came across as a professional ass-kisser. Whatever Kamoshida wants, Kamoshida gets.

“To think you didn’t know why I kept someone as talentless as you on the team,” Kamoshida scoffed. “You act like you’re a victim, but you leaked Kusakabe-chan’s records, didn’t you? It’s all over the internet, correct?”

She could not stop the instant, ‘Huh?’ as she turned to look at the wide-eyed, trembling Mishima. Chiyo remembered his reaction when she approached him for directions on her first day. But Chiyo simply assumed he listened to the rumors… until she remembered Mishima’s relieved expression when she asked him her question. Had Mishima assumed Chiyo realized he was the one behind the rumors?

And yesterday, there was a damp rag in Mishima’s hand when Chiyo returned to class. She knew he’d likely cleaned her desk. Now she knew why.

“He told me to do it…” Mishima sunk to his knees. “I had no choice…”

“This conversation is done,” Kamoshida said simply. “You’re all expelled.”

Chiyo could see Ryuji contemplating a possible comeback, physical or verbal. But she grasped onto his arm again and shook her head when he shot a glance at her. Chiyo knelt down, then grasped Mishima by the shoulder. He looked at her in the face, tears staining his cheeks, likely at his limit. Chiyo gestured with her head for him to stand up, then repeated the gesture for Ryuji, signaling him to move.

Bringing up the rear of the group proved to be Chiyo’s mistake. Kamoshida grabbed her by the upper arm so abruptly Chiyo nearly lost her footing. She heard Ryuji start the beginning of a curse as Kamoshida closed the door shut before anything else could happen. He didn’t let go of Chiyo’s arm until he locked the door.

_‘Fuck, fuck, fuck, shit, fucking, fuck, shit, fuck!’_

In spite of, or because of, the sudden turn of events, what surprised, and arguably disturbed, Chiyo the most was the tone Kamoshida took when he spoke to her. “You really are something of an enigma, Kusakabe-chan, you know that?” he asked, suddenly as pleasant and jovial as the day Chiyo met him. “I hear ‘criminal record’ and ‘compensated dating’ and you are… not what comes to mind.”

Given how easily Chiyo could change character since arriving at Shujin she may not have had the right to complain. But how fast and how easily Kamoshida changed his character unnerved her. Not even five minutes ago he was gearing to expel her. And now he was like… _this?_

Kamoshida started to rub the back of his neck, an act that made the hair on the back of Chiyo’s neck stand up on end. This was too casual for her liking. “I don’t know why a girl like you is hanging around with the likes of Sakamoto and Mishima,” he said at length. When the man stepped away from the door, Chiyo took a step back. He was the one who spread the rumors about her, he was telling Takamaki to stay away from her. Where the _fuck_ was all this coming from?!

“What do you care?” Chiyo asked incredulously. “You’re about to be rid of me, remember?”

Frustrated, Kamoshida held his head in his hand. “Didn’t think I’d have to spell it out for you, _you_ of all people.” He reached out for Chiyo’s arm again and brought her closer in though she actively fought against his grip. “Do you want to keep your future? Then _give me_ something in return. Let’s see if your reputation precedes you. I know how flexible you are.”

Chiyo fought against Kamoshida’s grip harder until he finally released her. The momentum forced her back against the wall. Her heart was pounding in her ears, and her skin was beginning to crawl. She could still feel his hand on her arm.

“I don’t know what lies Sakamoto fed you,” Kamoshida continued as though nothing happened, “but don’t let anyone tell you I’m not an unreasonable man. You want to stay in school, then _earn_ the right.” He shrugged. “Heck, I’ll be generous and save Sakamoto and Mishima’s hides for you.”

How stupid did Kamoshida think she was? At best, Chiyo brought herself to agree to this and Kamoshida would find a new way to get rid of all three of them. At worse, he would proceed to dangle the boy's academic futures in front of her for the year. Or just expel them anyway.

“I would think you’re used to this sort of thing,” said Kamoshida. “I’m hardly the first person who exchanged sex for goods with you. And with a bod like yours, works like yours, I get why you’d be into that sort of thing.”

Chiyo could have punched him if she thought it would do anything outside of momentary satisfaction. She hated so much these days. Ryou for refusing to take her side. Eiichi for being more of a dad to his stepson than to his biological daughter. The man who tarnished her reputation in so many ways. The woman she tried to help for going along with the man. Sojiro for acting like he was so put upon when housing Chiyo was his choice in the end. Kamoshida for…so much. And it amazed her how intense her hate could get in just one day.

She must have shown something on her face, anger, disgust, revoltion, as Kamoshida let out an aggravated sigh. “You spend the last three days with Sakamoto and _now_ you have standards?” He crossed his arms over his chest. “It’s a basic fact of life, you can’t get anything for nothing. You want on my volleyball team, you earn it. You want to stay in school, keep your probation, you earn it. If you don’t want to take me up on my generous offer, whatever happens next is on you.”

Generous offer? Yeah, live up to the rumors and claims surrounding her in exchange for her stay in school. Blackmail, so generous.

Why was he even coming to her about this? It was pretty clear to Chiyo that he had his sights on Takamaki? No sooner had Chiyo thought about it, she realized how stupid it was. Takamaki wasn’t putting out as he wanted. He was just using her to hold him over while he waited for Takamaki to ‘relent’ and ‘give in.’

Chiyo’s train of thought started to take off, one car passed by after another. She remembered the cognitive Takamaki in Kamoshida’s palace. How she essentially wore nothing but a small bikini that left little to the imagination. In contrast, however, the real Takamaki rejected the real Kamoshida over the phone yesterday. Didn’t… Didn’t Mishima say Kamoshida asked to see Suzui yesterday? And Kamoshida called Takamaki yesterday, Suzui was Takamaki’s friend so was he… Was she a means to…

Gasping, Chiyo slapped a hand over her mouth. _Oh god_ …

She was cold with dread and hot with rage at the same time. What was going through Suzui’s mind when she saw Kamoshida yesterday? When she went home last night? This morning? When she decided to go onto the roof? Was she afraid? Ashamed? Oh, god if she blamed herself for Kamoshida’s actions… Chiyo just wanted to scream out for the poor girl who couldn’t.

Trembling with rage, Chiyo lowered her hand from her mouth. “Did… Did Suzui have to ‘earn’ her spot on your team?” she asked, her voice sounded so hollow to her ears. “Did she get an ‘offer’ too?”

She half-expected Kamoshida to just outright deny everything. In a way, maybe he was. He grinned in a self-congratulatory fashion. “She enjoyed it.”

Chiyo’s face began to heat up, her hands balled up at her sides, and began to tremble. That was it. She was _done_ playing nice!

Whatever Ryuji decided for himself, and she would not blame him if the consequences were too much for him, Chiyo was going along with Morgana’s plan. Whether Kamoshida lived or died… Chiyo didn’t care anymore. Why should she give him the courtesy he wasn’t giving Suzui? If Kamoshida could break someone, why couldn’t Chiyo? If he wasn’t going to feel guilty for what could be Suzui’s death, why should Chiyo feel guilty for his?!

“I’d sooner fuck a hot iron rod!” hissed Chiyo. “I’ll take that expulsion.”

She shoved past him and made her way over to the door. “And Sakamoto and Mishima?” Kamoshida asked knowingly. “Will you let them take it?”

Chiyo froze, her hand hovering in front of the door lock. Fucking hell, _fucking hell_! How did he peg her like this? If it was just Chiyo on the line, this would be over and done with. No one else to worry about but her. But Ryuji and Mishima? Could she allow them to suffer a similar fate as her if she could do something about it?

No. Kamoshida would find another way to expel them no matter what she did – assuming Kamoshida would be true to his word. He would find a way to make this a no-win situation for them. Blindly playing into Kamoshida’s hands was nothing but a foolish move.

“I’ll give you time to think about it.” Kamoshida’s voice snapped Chiyo out of her revelry. “Just hope you make the right choice before I get tired of waiting.”

“Go fuck yourself.”

She unlocked the door and threw it open to find Ryuji and Mishima on the other side. Mishima gasped out her name, relieved to see her unharmed. Ryuji must have seen something in Chiyo’s face to cause him concern. “Hey, what happened in there?!”

Remaining silent and ignoring Mishima’s concerns, Chiyo took Ryuji by the arm and lead him somewhere they could speak privately. She realized too late that moving when her emotions were running so wild was a mistake. It quickly became difficult for her to breathe properly, she was gasping for breath by the time they made it to the courtyard. It took her a few minutes to realize she was crying despite how blurred her vision had become.

She lead Ryuji to the courtyard by the vending machines. As soon as Chiyo released his arm, her hands went up and under her frames in an attempt to dry her eyes. She vaguely noticed the ache in her upper right arm, the bastard's grip likely left a bruise.

Ryuji must have seen her tears, he definitely heard her erratic breathing. And to his credit, he approached Chiyo with caution. “Dude, what happened?” he asked gently. “C’mon, you can tell me…”

After she tried to dry her eyes again, Chiyo readjusted her glasses. “Ryuji…” she said between breaths, “if it’s… still too much for you… I understand. But I’m going… with Morgana’s plan… I don’t care if that… thing lives or dies anymore.”

“I’m not followin’...”

“Kamoshida didn’t just beat on Suzui…” Chiyo pushed her bangs back and held her hands in place for a moment as she tried to catch her breath. She didn’t tell him what happened to Suzui last night until she calmed down.

###### 

Ryuji let out every curse he could recall and then some in such a flurry, it became little more than enraged gibberish. He repeated the process when Chiyo explained what happened to her when she was alone with Kamoshida. Including his ultimatum.

“I assume you’ve made up your minds then?”

On the table sat Morgana. Though she wondered how he passed the staff and students, Chiyo did not put it past Morgana to have followed them down here. “I have,” said Chiyo, “I’m doing it.”

“So have I,” added Ryuji. “We’re not dealing with just physical abuse! He just tried to blackmail Chiyo. _He raped that girl!_ She could die because of him! I don’t give a rat's ass what happens to that shitbag!”

“He’s punished either way.” Chiyo removed her glasses, making sure her eyes were truly dried. Then she used the hem of her turtleneck to clean the lenses.

Morgana purred, “Then it’s settled.”

“So, uh… is gettin’ rid of a Palace hard?” inquired Ryuji. “You’ve tried it before, right?

“When did I ever say that?”

“Well, you do talk a big game.” Chiyo put her glasses back on and slumped her shoulders. “And apparently that’s all it is.”

Ryuji’s eyes rolled skyward, exasperated. “Oh, that’s just fuckin’ wonderful!”

“Is it true that you’re getting expelled?”

Chiyo whipped around to find Takamaki, red-eyed, and miserable. “Takamaki?” Chiyo gasped. “I-I thought you’d be with Suzui…” She regretted saying it as soon as it came out of her mouth.

“Her parents and family all rushed to the hospital. I didn’t want to impose, so one of her relatives drove me back,” Takamaki explained. “Enough about me, everyone’s talking about your expulsion.”

“That asshole’s at it again,” hissed Ryuji. “So you came all this way to tell us that?”

“If you’re going to deal with Kamoshida,” Ann began finding the conviction to speak, “let me in on it too. I can’t just sit back and do nothing after what happened to Shiho!”

It wasn’t as though Chiyo didn’t think Takamaki had a right to this. She had every right. But could Takamaki even go to that other world? And that was ignoring how Takamaki would react to the cognitive Takamaki. “This has nothing to do with you,” Ryuji said without tact. “Don’t butt your nose into this…”

“What Ryuji means is,” Chiyo said quickly before Takamaki could respond. “Is that you probably don’t want to get caught up in this method. It’s… rather unorthodox.”

Takamaki stared at her for several agonizingly slow seconds. She didn’t say anything but furrowed her brow. Scrunching up her face, she took off running. “Goddamnit,” murmured Chiyo.

“I know.” Ryuji rubbed his temples with one hand. “But we can’t take her somewhere like that. You saw that other her in that Palace thingy.”

“I just hope she doesn’t torment herself over this,” Morgana murmured.

“We just gotta hurry up and deal with Kamoshida.”

They waited until school was let out properly for the day. Ryuji showed Chiyo a safe place to hide their bags in the alley while they worked, though Morgana insisted they each carry whatever food they had on them. In the alley across the road from the school, they had a clear view of the entrance, and would likely have a clear view of the Palace’s entrance.

“The moment we cross over, we’ll treat each other like phantom thieves,” Morgana prepped them. “So I hope you’re ready.”

Ryuji glanced down at the cat with a raised brow. “Phantom thieves?”

“Those who covertly sneak in and stylishly steal Treasure – that is what we become!”

Chiyo’s head list to the left as she thought about it. In all technicality that was what they were doing. Being a lady thief… the dumb middle-schooler in her was drawn into the romantic notion of it all. “Not bad…”

“Yeah.” Ryuji rotated his arm. “That sounds kinda cool! So we just gotta say the school, Kamoshida’s name, and… castle? Then we end up in the bizarre world.” He pulled out his phone and stared at the app. “How the hell’s all this work, anyway? Someone had to make this thing, right?”

“You’d… think so…” Chiyo’s voice trailed off. Maybe she should try to explain to the two what she experienced a couple of nights instead of dreams? The Velvet Room, Igor, and Henry. How much could she explain without coming across like a loony or raising more questions than answers? Fuck, Chiyo didn’t even understand it herself, never mind explaining anything about it.

“It’s kind of creepy when you think about it, but eh, it seems useful enough.”

“We can worry about it after dealing with Kamoshida,” said Chiyo.

###### 

Ann was within earshot of Sakamoto and Kusakabe and… a cat? A black and white cat. Wasn’t that the same cat the teachers were searching for? And… were they talking to it?

On the opposite end of the alley, she could see them clearly, though she could only hear bits and pieces of what they were saying. The only thing Ann could make out was Kusakabe saying that they could worry about something after Kamoshida.

So, they really were going to do something. But what were they doing with their phone? “Whoa!” Ann braced her hand against the wall, a sudden dizzy spell overwhelmed her.

###### 

The changes were so instantaneous, Chiyo hardly noticed the flames consuming her person any longer. What she did notice was the flames consuming Morgana’s person, changing him to his cartoonish, bipedal form. He leaped onto a flowerbed, likely so he could look Ryuji and Chiyo in the eye. “All right!” Ryuji wore a broad grin as he rotated his shoulder. “Time to bust on through!”

“What is this?!”

The trio whirled around to find a wide-eyed, ghost white, frightened Takamaki. Her blue eyes traveled from her schoolmates to the castle and back. Her face carried several dozen questions and she wasn’t sure if she wanted answers.

“T-Takamaki?!” Ryuji chocked out.

“Sakamoto?!” Takamaki echoed. Her eyes fell upon Chiyo and studied her for a moment. “Kusakabe-san?!”

“How did you get here?!” Chiyo asked, her voice raising an octave.

“How should I know?!” Her hands gestured at the castle, then at Chiyo and Ryuji. “Isn’t this where the school is?! A-And what’s with the getups?!”

“I see,” Morgana said calmly. “Perhaps she was dragged in because of that app thing. If multiple people can enter with the person who uses it, it stands to reason it’ll pull in anyone nearby.”

“For real?” Ryuji asked weakly.

Chiyo tilted her head back briefly. “Thinking about it, that is kinda what happened with us,” she said. “It started on my phone, and must have pulled you in with me.”

Calming down, Takamaki stopped scanning the area. “Wait, so all this here is related to Kamoshida?!”

“You gotta leave!” Ryuji said, gesturing to Takamaki.

“No way!”

“Takamaki-san, trust me on this, you do not want to see what’s in there,” Chiyo said with her hands up. All she could think about was the cognitive Takamaki inside the castle.

Morgana swayed uncomfortably. “The Shadows are going to find us if you make a scene…”

Takamaki flinched as though she just crossed paths with a large, ugly spider. “No way!” she shrieked, pointing at Morgana. “It talked?! Oh my god, it’s a monster cat!”

Morgana’s eyes contracted into tiny blue dots. “M- _Monster_ …?”

“You better explain what’s going on! I won’t leave until you do!”

Ryuji leaned to the side, whispering to Chiyo and Morgana. “Looks like we gotta force her.” Chiyo nodded. “But… how’re we supposed to do that?”

“You take her arms, I’ll take her legs,” whispered Chiyo.

“That’s not what I meant!”

“Try taking her back to where we came in,” Morgana instructed in hushed tones. “That’s how it worked last time, right?”

Chiyo threw a look at Ryuji, who simply shrugged in response. They were going to have quite a bit of explaining for Takamaki when this was over. And one gigantic apology for what they were about to do.

They ended up going with Chiyo’s plan, Ryuji grabbed a hold of Takami’s upper body. Her flailing limbs made it easier for Chiyo to take hold of her by the knees. Takamaki ended up ramming her head into Ryuji’s nose, not really helped by his mask. And her heels kept beating into Chiyo’s collarbone.

Upon bringing Takamaki to the alley, Chiyo lowered her knees, and Ryuji proceeded to shove Takamaki in. “We better be careful from now on when we use that app,” Ryuji said breathlessly.

“You should’ve checked the tools you used!” Morgana snipped on the way to the drawbridge. “Why do _I_ – the one who was just watching – know more about it than you two?!”

Chiyo crossed her arms. “I don’t recall you saying anything before we fired it up.”

Morgana’s tail started to bristle. “Th-That girl’s name is Ann Takamaki, right?” he asked, changing the subject. He started purring while his tail swayed happily. “Lady Ann~”

“Oh, brother,” sighed Chiyo. “Don’t we have a job to do?”

Morgana’s tail bristled again. “Quite-Quite right, Joker.”

“Joker?”

“What’s with the nickname?” inquired Ryuji.

“Don’t refer to it in such a lame way!” Morgana chided irritably. “It’s a codename. What kind of stupid phantom thief would use their real name?! I’m _not_ down for that! And there’s no telling what kind of effect yelling our real names will have on the Palace. It’s just a precaution.”

“So, why’s she, Joker?”

“Because she’s our trump card when it comes to fighting strength.”

“Joker…” Chiyo rubbed the back of her neck as she list her head. “I guess it could be worse.”

“It’s settled then!” Crossing his arms, Morgana eyed Ryuji. “Next up is you. You’ll be… Let’s see… ‘Thug.’”

“Are you pickin’ a fight with me?! I’ll choose it myself!” Ryuji placed his hands on his hips in thought. “When it comes to me, it’s gotta be this mask. Honestly, I actually kinda like it. What if we named me after this?”

Chiyo started to clap her hands while bouncing on the balls of her feet. “Then you gotta be ‘Skull!’”

She could see Ryuji’s eyes light up like a kid in a candy store despite the mask. “Ooh! That sounds awesome! I’m Skull!” He gestured his head towards Morgana. “What do we do about this one’s codename?”

“’Kyle?’” Chiyo suggested, her accent rolling on the ‘L.’

Morgana blanched. “Sounds so… _common_.”

“How ‘bout ‘Mona?’” Ryuji offered.

The cat-like creature held his head in one paw as he thought. “It’s better, I certainly never heard it before.” Morgana paused for a good three seconds before he nodded in approval. “All right. From here on out, we’re Joker, Skull, and Mona. We need to be absolutely thorough about using those codenames from now on! 

“Are we ready?” He held one paw at his belt, his other paw pointed towards their entrance point. “No mourners!”

Brow twitching behind her mask, Chiyo tossed a confused glance at Ryuji, who looked just as lost as she did. “This is where you answer with ‘No funerals,’” Morgana said under his breath, holding his pose.

“Why?” Ryuji asked simply.

“It’s our way of saying good luck. We’re phantom thieves, so we shouldn’t expect any fancy or fond funerals at death.”

“That’s a little morbid,” mutter Chiyo.  
  
“It’s another aspect of _memento mori_! It’s a fact of life!”

###### 

Skull was the first to climb up through the vent, Mona held onto Joker’s coattails as Skull helped her in. They climbed out safely on the other side and headed down the hall towards the foyer. However, they came to an abrupt halt at the doorway.

“Praise be to King Kamoshida! Death to the intruders!”

A contingent of the black-armored soldier’s filled the foyer. At the head of the stairs, within perfect view of his own painting, Kamoshida stood. He glowered over, his hands braced against the banister at either side of him. His piercing eyes carried a sickly playful gleam. “Those intruders the other day were quite entertaining,” he declared. “However I can’t allow that trash to ransack my castle! Kill them on sight! I’ll reward whoever brings me their heads!”

The soldiers cheered, further stroking their king’s ego.

The newly formed phantom thieves hid on either side of the doorway, just out of sight of the soldiers, but still able to catch glimpses of the scene. Joker bit her lower lip, the sheer number of guards in one made her uneasy. She supposed if they were smart about it, they could find the Treasure with little conflict. “Hey, Mona,” Skull asked in a hushed tone. “Can’t we just beat the crap outta Kamoshida and call it a day?”

“Look at all those soldiers, idiot!” hissed Mona. “It’d be suicide. And I’m sure you don’t want a repeat of last time. Besides, don’t you want him to confess his sins? There’s no point in just beating him up. We need to steal his materialized desires… the Treasure.”

“Okay, that much I get,” said Joker, “but how do we find the Treasure?”

“I’d venture it’s somewhere in the depths of this castle. We’ll infiltrate further in while he’s out here.”

Turning back around, Joker heard Skull mutter something about backtracking under his breath. Back at the door across the hall, Joker pulled it open. Her heart leaped into her throat at the sight of one of the guards. Skull grabbed Joker by the arm and pulled her out of sight before the guard could pace back around. “Goddamnit, it can’t be that easy, can it?” muttered Skull. “Whaddya wanna do? Beat the crap outta it?”

Joker readied her ribbon. “We don’t have much of a choice.”

She stepped out from their hiding spot and performed a series of cartwheels that morphed into a series of flips. When she was close enough to the guard, she balled herself up and used her core to give her momentum. Once on the Shadow's shoulders, Joker dug her fingers under their mask and yanked it off. Convulsing, the guard morphed into one of the blue-clad fairies.

Skull was the first to go into the attack. He bashed the fairy on the side of the head with his rod. Soon after, Mona and Joker followed up with a strike from their weapons. The onslaught of attack after attack sent the fairy pirouetting several times before she dropped to the floor. Holding herself up with her arm, she shook her head and scrutinized the trio before her.

“Seriously?!” the fairy shouted in a high-pitched voice. “You guys are the intruder's King Kamoshida was talking about?”

“The fuck?!” Skull gasped. “Shadows talk?! Since when?!”

“Now, apparently,” snarked Joker.

“Well, Shadows are beings born from people’s hearts,” said Mona, “so it’s not outside the realm of possibility. We just gotta take it out like every other Shadow so far.”

The enraged fairy shrieked, letting out a sound that belonged to a chipmunk on helium. She pounded her small fists against the floor like a child throwing a tantrum. “It can’t get any worse than this! What’re you going to do with me?!”

“You can help us,” Joker suggested instantly. “Why fight for someone who doesn’t care if you live or die?”

“Help you?”

“Why exactly are you fighting for Kamoshida? I doubt he’d mourn if we killed you now.”

The fairy looked down at her hands for a moment. “You’re right…” she said under her breath. She started to sway in place. “Whoa… I feel… different…”

“Wait, talking to it actually works?!” gasped Mona.

“Yes! I remember now! I don’t belong just to King Kamoshida… I am an existence that drifts about the sea of humanity’s souls…” Her wings started to flutter, lifting her off the floor as she held her hands to her chest below her chin. “My real name is Pixie! Thank you for reminding me of that… From now on, I’ll live on inside your heart!”

A gentle blue glow surrounded her person, when it died down a domino mask, not unlike Joker’s, took her place. The mask flew towards Joker, fusing with her preexisting mask. Her head tilt back slightly, her hand fluttered to her mask, a brief moment of exhilaration rushed through her.

“What… the… hell was that?!” Skull demanded, recoiling in surprise. “Did Joker just… absorb the enemy… or… I don’t know?!”

“I don’t know!” Mona started flailing his arms wildly. “I don’t know!”

“You don’t know?! Ain’t you the one boastin’ about how much you know about all this?!”

“I had no idea! I wasn’t expecting that any more than you-”

“Intruders?! Halt!”

Another guard stood in the doorway, seemingly appearing out of nowhere. Joker did not doubt for a second that it found them thanks to Skull and Mona’s yelling.

“Okay, time to cut the crap.” Joker sunk into a defensive stance with her ribbon at the ready. “We got more trouble on our hands.”

The guard convulsed, miasma spilled out, and took shape into a couple of demon horses. Skull immediately removed his mask, summoning Captain Kidd. Extending its cannon arm, Kidd released a Zio on one of the demon horses, dissolving it into darkness. As though nothing happened, the remaining horse lowered its head, gearing for the next attack. It lunged at Mona, sending him flying back several meters.

“Mona!” gasped Joker.

Her hand reached up for her mask without thinking. She wasn’t sure why, however, Arsene could not do much damage to the demon horse. But something, something high-pitched and kind of whiny, was telling her to take off her mask. _‘Will you just take it off already?!’_

Joker removed her mask, but instead of Arsene, Pixie took its place. “No way!” shouted Mona. “Isn’t that the same Shadow from earlier?! Did… Did you take in the Shadow’s appearance and powers as a Persona?!”

Ignoring Mona’s shock and questions, Pixie extended her arms. A second Zio blasted the demon horse off its hooves. It shook his head before it looked back up at Joker. “Hey now, let’s not be rash!” it said. Its voice was deep enough to rearrange the trio’s internal organs.

Joker offered her hand to the beast. “Kamoshida only uses you for his own ends,” she said, her mouth running faster than her thoughts. “You die here, he won’t care. Work with me and we can have a proper partnership.”

“Those are some pretty big words,” said the horse. “Then I guess I’ll do the talking next. I’ll decide if I’m gonna help you after. Look here, girlie, I… uh… I’ve got this girl waitin’ fer me. You know what I’m getting’ at, right. You think you could let me-”

“Y’know, somehow, I don’t believe you,” Joker said plainly.

“If I don’t make it back, she’s gonna cry. And then, she’ll kill herself, that’ll be all on you. Adults can sorta do what they want, but they also gotta take responsibility fer what they do. Don’t take this the wrong way, but man… Bein’ a carefree kid sure must be nice.”

“Oh, cut the crap!” Joker snapped spitefully. “Point me in the direction of an adult who actually practices what they preach and takes responsibility themselves when they’ve done wrong. Then we’ll talk.”

The horse’s head shook as it chuckled. “Well, can’t deny there's a lotta truth to that, girlie. A lotta adults either throw each other under the bus, are full-blown hypocrites, or both. Take it that ain’t the type of adult you want to be.”

“Nope.”

“I like the way you think,” said the horse. It paused for a moment before it slowly rose to its hooves. “I can’t believe it… I remember now…” He reared back on its hind legs. “I’m no Shadow from this place. I used to be livin’ in that there sea of human souls! From now on, call me Bicorn! No need fer honorifics, girlie.”

Its body began to glimmer softly, taking on the shape of Joker’s mask, and flying to the real thing. “What the…” Joker murmured.

“Holy crap… Holy crap, _holy crap_!” Mona started pacing on all fours. “Does this mean Joker can wield multiple Personas?!”

“Is that even possible?!” questioned Skull.

“I don’t know! I’ve never seen anyone do that before!”

“Wasn’t all this yelling what lured in the last Shadow?” Joker asked nonchalantly. “Besides, isn’t wielding multiple Persona’s a good thing?”

Mona stopped pacing, his tail stiffened. “Of course it is! Only one heart exists per person, so normally a person can only have one Persona! But this…” He gestured to Joker’s person. “This is incredible! This ability will give us a huge advantage in battle!”

“Hell yeah!” Skull pumped his fist excitedly. “We’ll mow right through ‘em at this rate!”

Joker chewed on her lower lip. So they were just going to accept this new ability without question? Though Joker suddenly had her suspicions, and it all went back to that blue jailhouse and the master of the realm.

Mona began to rub his front paw’s together, cackling in such a way that would have made the Wicked Witch of the West proud. “I’m liking you more and more! I really do have someone special on my hands!”

“I know you fancy us as dashing phantom thieves,” Joker murmured, “but right now you look more like a supervillain…”

The cat-creature dropped the wicked grin, then shuttered. “Uh… y-yes, you’re right,” he said while he cleared his throat. “Anyway, we should move on before Skull draw’s in anymore Shadows.”

“Hey!” Skull snapped. “You were yellin’ just as much as I was!”

###### 

The nerve of those two! Manhandling her, and leaving her out of a plot she had every right to be part of! Sure from Sakamoto, it didn’t surprise her, but Kusakabe did not seem like the type.

Ann’s thoughts calmed when she approached the drawbridge of the castle. After being left behind by Sakamoto and Kusakabe, she found herself in the alley in front of the school. But when she checked her phone, she found an app she had no memory of downloading.

It was only on a gut feeling that Ann opened it to find a navigation layout she never saw before. Repeating the words she overheard Sakamoto say, Ann nearly fell over from a sense of vertigo. The sensation gone, Ann noticed the color of the sky, a red- magenta color.

“That app…?” she said out loud to herself. She looked down at her phone, no service, and nothing else, like the camera, would work. “Seriously…”

“Princess?!”

Ann looked up to find a trio of armored men with blue-green skin. Her heart raced as the trio approached her with a running start. She yelled out when two of them grabbed her by the arm each.

_Again?!_

###### 

Their travels took them through a sort of dining hall for the guards. And they came out finding a new safe room beyond it. Along the way, Joker’s little collection of new Persona grew with the inclusion of Pyro Jack and Mandrake. The way Mona reacted with each new Persona left Joker wondering if he would ever tire of it. After the third Persona, the excitement of the revelation was beginning to wear off for her and Skull.

After regrouping the safe room they tried the door just down the hall from it, only to find it locked. Mona suggested they try backtracking, with any luck the foyer was open and they could either find the key or find another way around.

“Aren’t there even more Shadows here than before?” Skull asked as they continued their trek back through the dining hall. “Just gettin’ this far’s been a real pain in the ass!”

“It’s probably because we provoked Kamoshida,” suggested Joker. “And because I rejected him…”

“Still…” Mona said thoughtfully, “he seems to be awfully on guard…”

Did Joker dare hope it meant the real Kamoshida was more concerned about Suzui pulling through than he let on? He sounded pretty confident that the odds were against her, but ‘what-ifs’ were pretty tricky. They could keep a person up at night.

“Anyways,” Skull changed the subject, “how’re we supposed to steal that Treasure thing?”

“Don’t be so hasty,” Mona chided. “First, we need to secure an infiltration route.”

“A what?”

“We need a safe route to the Treasure,” translated Joker. “Even if we find it today, stealing it now may not be the wisest idea because we’ll have wasted so much energy getting to it.”

“Exactly.” Mona nodded approvingly. His ears soon plastered against his head. “But, honestly, I think we’ll need a little more manpower to accomplish this mission. At the very least, one more person would be nice…”

“Hold on a sec.” Skull pulled to a stop at the hall’s doorway. He crossed his arms over his chest and eyed Mona. “You say you don’t have your memories and all, but somehow you still know about this kinda stuff?”

Oh, that was a good observation from Skull. Joker never considered it. It was odd that Mona knew all this, yet had no other memory. Which begged the question of how Mona knew all this to begin with. He couldn’t know it all just because.

“It is kind of suspicious.” Joker crossed her arms.

“Hey, crazy as it sounds,” Mona began, “I don’t get it any more than either of you. While my knowledge of this place helped me survive, but it’s far from the memory I want to have.”

They could hear some muffling and metallic creaking. Joker held her hand up silencing Skull and Mona then pressed her ear against the door.

“Still, why was the princess in such an odd place? I could have sworn we were pursuing the readings of an intruder.”

"It doesn’t matter now. We must take her back to King Kamoshida!”

“Fuck…” Joker hissed. She glanced over her shoulder at the boys. “We should have checked Takamaki’s phone before leaving her.”

“Wait, you mean Lady Ann came back here?!” asked Mona.

“That’s what it sounds like.”

“Damn it, she must’ve overheard us before we took off,” muttered Skull. “Goddamnit! We left her out for her own safety, and she just came back in by herself…!”

“The Shadow’s must’ve mistaken her for that cognition…” Joker bit the bed of her thumb. God, she hoped Takamaki didn’t come face to face with her.

They went down the hall they originally came from, only to find a second corridor, previously blocked off was open. Mona sprinted down the corridor, straight for the set of black double doors. On either side of the hall were suits of black armor, that kind of creeped out Joker the more she looked at them. Maybe she was too used to seeing armor move here. How sad was it if that was the case?

###### 

Ann struggled against her restraints as soon as the guards strapped her onto a St. Andrew’s cross. “What’s all this about?!” she shouted at the guards. “Seriously, I’m gonna call the cops!”

“So, this is the intruder…”

Ann looked up to find Kamoshida wearing little else than a fluffy cape and a pink Speedo. “Kamoshida?!”

The surprises continued to pile on as a girl wearing nothing but a bikini walked up to Kamoshida. She wore her hair exactly like Ann’s, even the color was spot on. Takamaki paled noticing more than just the similarities in the hair, but also the face. “What the…?” She shook her head in an attempt to get her priorities straight. “What is this place?! Why’s the school turned into something like this?!”

Scoffing, Kamoshida gestured to Ann. “I can’t believe you mistook my Ann for someone like her.”

“God, what’s with that outfit?” Ann questioned blanching slightly. “So gaudy…”

“I do as I please here,” Kamoshida explained half-heartedly. “After all, this is my castle… The world of my desires.”

“Wait, what?! Is this some red-light district?! This isn’t funny!” Ann pulled at her restraints. “Enough of the bullshit, Kamoshida!”

Kamoshia turned to the cognitive Ann with curled lips. “The girl's decided to tell me off. What do you think of that?”

The cognitive Ann swayed side to side lazily. “Talking back is, like… totally unforgivable… Last intruder who talked back has, like, become a total problem.”

Ann’s jaw fell open. Her clone mimicked her voice perfectly, though the inflections made her sound like a complete airhead. “That she has,” Kamoshida said, turning back to Ann. “In that case… she should be executed.” Two black guards and one of his golden guards surrounded Ann. His grin grew, wicked, and borderline orgasmic. “Now then, how should I play with you? Shall I tear you into little pieces?”

She could have slouched if the cross wasn’t keeping her up. What sort of crazy roleplay did she stumble onto?

###### 

Joker blanched when she, Skull, and Mona opened the door. The room looked like it was modeled after a love hotel. Or at least, in Joker’s mind, that’s what it looked like. Red walls, red carpeting, even red drapes. A portrait of the Shadow Kamoshida hung at the back of the room behind Ann.

The sight of Ann strapped to the St. Andrew’s cross would have been bothersome as it was… were it not for the half-naked female slaves around the room making things worse than they already were. Fondling their breast, swaying and breathing as though pleasuring themselves. Joker was willing to bet everything she had that the girls were supposed to be students.

“God, this is fucked up,” uttered Skull. “Is this what he thinks of the girls on the volleyball team?!”

“Has to.” Joker held a hand over her mouth. Suddenly she was concerned that Suzui wasn’t the only student Kamoshida had his way with. “They wouldn’t be like this otherwise.”

“Hey! Over here!” Ann shouted. “What’s the deal with this guy?!”

Kamoshida half-turned to find the trio of phantom thieves. “How many times are you gonna come back?” Kamoshida growled. He glowered back at Ann, lips pulled back into a smile. “I bet you’re just like those thieves. You came because you’re pissed at me, huh? But, ah….” his eyes rolled to the side in forced exasperation, “I forget that chick’s name, but it’s your fault she jumped, you know.”

Ann’s brow furrowed. “Huh…?”

“You were so reluctant to throw yourself onto me that I had her take your place.”

“She already told me what you did, bastard!”

The golden guard pointed its sword at her. Skull tried to break forward before either Joker or Mona could react. Seeing Skull so much as twitch, the other two guards crossed their blades over Ann’s neck. “Take one more step and I’ll kill her on the spot,” Kamoshida warned. “Just sit back and enjoy the dismantlement show.”

“Goddamnit!” cursed Skull.

“Maybe I’ll start with her clothes…”

“You’re such a perv!” the cognitive Ann giggled.

Ann’s head fell as the soldiers approached her. Perhaps this was her punishment for what happened to Shiho. The more she thought back to Kamoshida’s phone call last night, the more she was certain that was what cause the chain of events leading to Shiho’s jump. If she just gave Kamoshida what he wanted, he wouldn’t have targeted Shiho.

“Have you finally realized?” Kamoshida asked, reading Ann’s expression as she allowed herself to hang. The St Andrews cross was the only thing keeping her up at this point. “You should’ve looked like this from the start.”

“Shiho…” Ann sobbed, allowing herself to wallow in despair and self-pity. “I’m so sorry…”

“Takamaki-san!” Joker shouted, her sudden outburst caused Ann to look up at her. She pointed straight at the Shadow Kamoshida with a dark look in her eye. “The only one responsible for what happened was that thing for putting the two of you in that situation, to begin with! He may as well have pushed her off himself! Don’t let this shitbag try to convince you otherwise!”

Ann stared at Joker, her face still wet with tears. Right… Kamoshida was the one who called Shiho over. Kamoshida was the one who forced himself on her. He was the one who couldn’t take the hint. He was the one abusing his position, his history, his students. “You’re right…” she said. Glowering at Kamoshida, she balled up her hands. “Letting this piece of shit toy with me… What was I thinking?!”

“It’s like I always say,” Kamoshida said, turning towards Ann, “slaves should just behave and-”

“Shut. _Up_!”

An abrupt silence fell upon everyone in the room. Besides the cognitive Ann who was singing a wordless song under her breath while fiddling with her hair. “I’ve had enough of this,” the real Ann growled, staring daggers at Kamoshida. “You’ve pissed me off, you son of a bitch!”

_“My… It’s taken far too long.”_

Ann threw her head back, a sudden, overwhelming pain erupting from the very center of her head. She started to thrust her pelvis in an attempt to free herself and ease her pain.

_“Tell me… Who is going to avenge her if you don’t? Forgiving him was never the option… Such is the scream of the other you that dwells within… I am thou, thou art I… We can finally forge a contract…”_

The pain subsided leaving Ann lightheaded as she momentarily slumped over. Catching her breath she could feel the sweat and tears running down her face. “I hear you… Carmen. You’re right.” She lifted her head, a red feline mask appearing on her face. “No more holding back!”

_“There you go,”_ Carmen continued, giving Ann the ability to free herself of her restraints. _“Nothing can be solved by restraining yourself. Understand? Then I’ll gladly lend you my strength.”_

Pulling herself free, Ann stepped away from the cross. Her hand reached up for the pointed ear on her mask. Crying out, Ann yanked it off with one good pull. A flash of blue erupted, the first thing visible was a tall being, human-like in appearance. Her pink skin was immediately noticeable amongst her red and black clothing. A black and pink leopard mask covered the upper half of her head, while two corkscrew pigtails trailed in the back of her head. Her top revealed the pink skin of her bosom. Her red and black skirt resembled that of a flamenco dancer's, lard red roses circled around her waist. She stood on the back of a creature with a heart-shaped head, dressed in a black suit, while she held on a vine connected to a similar creature.

Ann now wore a tight, red latex suit that revealed a bit of her cleavage. She had on a pair of red thigh-high boots and a pair of pink gloves. A tail was clipped to her backside, fitting with her feline mask. A red whip was coiled at her hip, held there by a metal clip.

Without warning, Ann sprinted towards the nearest guard and kicked its sword out of its hand. Catching it in mid-air, she brought it down on her cognitive self, which disappeared into darkness before she hit the ground. Cowering, Kamoshida backed up until he hit the wall. Obediently, his captain stood in front of him, weapons at the ready. “You know what?!” Ann threw the sword to the floor, turning to face Kamoshida. “I’m not some cheap girl you can toy with, you scumbag!”

“Bitch!”

“You stole everything from Shiho! You destroyed her! Now it’s your turn!” She pointed a gloved finger straight at Kamoshida. “I will rob you of everything!”

“How dare you!” shouted the Guard Captain. “Enough of your insolence!”

It, and its two lesser fellows, convulsed, transforming into a blue-grey devil. Who was sitting on a toilet... “No,” Ann growled, “I’ve had enough of you!”

“How dare you deny King Kamoshida’s love, you selfish lass?!” the guard captain shouted. “Pay for this insolence with your life!”

Ann scoffed as Joker, Skull, and Mona gathered around her. “That dirtbag just sees women as sexual outlets! Don’t make me laugh with that ‘love’ bullshit! C’mon, Carmen! Let’s give ‘em hell!”

Carmen took hold of her skirt and flounce it to the side. A burst of flame appeared in front of the guard captain. The fire grew, knocking the guard back. With her job done, for the time being, Carmen disappeared and the red feline mask appeared back on Ann’s face “Don’t hog all the fun for yourself,” Joker said, reaching for her mask. “Pyro Jack!”

The purple-cloaked Jack o’ lantern appeared at Joker’s side. He mimicked Carmen’s Agi attack. Skull fired off his pistol several times before Mona slashed the demon with his sword. Ann removed her mask, summoning Carmen a second time. After a third Agi attack. “Okay,” Mona shouted as the captain fell. “All at once for an All-Out Attack!”

Obediently, the three high school students took out their individual weapons. No one envied the guard captain as he was overwhelmed in a flurry of knives, swords, pipes, and whips. When they finished the attack, Ann landed gracefully, twirled around once, before she gave a cheeky wink and flashed a peace sign, just as the Shadow started spurting miasma.

As the Shadow disappeared, Ann backed up on unsteady feet. Heaving she bent over double, her hands braced against her knees. Criminy, she felt like she was going to pass out at any second.

“Oh, shit…!” Kamoshida cursed, backing up slightly. He finally decided to cut his losses and sprinted for the nearest door.

Ann reached out for his retreating form, willing the coward to hold still so she could further kick his ass. “Wait!” she called, falling to her knees.

“Easy!” Joker gasped, suddenly at Ann’s side.

“Why’d you come here, man?!” Skull asked, getting straight to the point.

“Hey!” Mona snapped, glaring at Skull. “Is that how you speak to a woman?!” He turned back to Ann, asking in a far gentler tone, “Are you all right, Lady Ann?!”

Joker rolled her eyes. “Oh, brother…”

Ann eyed Mona wearily. “Lady Ann?” she asked incredulously. She shook her head, realizing what she was saying. “Hold on! What is this thing? Is it alive… How can it even talk?! And-And where n the world are we?!”

“That’s…. quite a bit to explain,” Joker said, rubbing the back of her neck. “And I don’t think here’s the place to explain it all.”

“And why not?” Ann said, getting back up on her feet. “Last time you were that dodgy with me I-” She looked down at herself, studying her dominatrix suit. Her instant reaction was to try and cover her cleavage. “Why am I dressed like this?! When did I-”

“I mean… it looks good on you,” Skull muttered, avoiding eye contact with her.

“Seriously?!” Ann snapped. “What the hell are you thinking?!”

“Well, I’m stumped,” murmured Mona. “Joker had the right idea earlier though. We should retreat for now!”

“Joker?” questioned Ann.

The girl in question waved her hand awkwardly. “Hi.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The title of this chapter comes from _‘L'amour est un oiseau rebelle’_ or the Habanera aria, from _Carmen_. You’ve heard it before.
> 
> The first half of this chapter was hard to write. I really, _really_ didn’t want to fall into the trap of making a (female) character’s rape all about everyone _but_ the character who was raped. It’s bad enough that Shiho had to go through it in the first place just to give Akiren and Ryuji the last push needed to commit to Morgana’s plan. It felt like a balancing act, especially with Kamoshida making the proposition to Chiyo. 
> 
> I tried to counter this by giving her a ‘my thing doesn’t matter’ mentality. I wouldn’t say its particularly healthy (for Chiyo or Ann), especially given she’s also been pretty much accused of prostitution. And her moments of sexual harassment. I know from my own experience that it’s not exactly helpful to downplay your problems. It took me well over year to admit that I was depressed during a trying period despite not being chronically depressed.
> 
> I hate myself for not originally adding the _Six of Crows_ reference of “No mourners. No funerals.” I fail as a fan. (And I only really remembered this time around because of the _Shadow and Bone_ Netflix posters and promotional images) I’d originally intended for Chiyo to make it, but at the last minute I realized two things. First, while not full-blown chuunibyou, Morgana’s probably the most chuuni of the gang at this point, so I wouldn’t put it past him to make their little good luck motto cool. The second is the realization that, even within _Six of Crows_ , “No mourners. No funerals.” has a feel of _memento mori_ to it. So it works out.


	11. Chapter Ten

**Chapter Ten  
The Roommate Agreement**

###### 

**_Friday, April 15th_ **

###### 

He traveled the halls of Shujin Academy with his hands jammed into his jacket pockets. Principal Kobayakawa had reached out to him on a recommendation after one of the students attempted suicide by jumping off the roof earlier that day during class hours. He had spent the last half-hour trying to arrange something for the students, mostly for the girl’s classmates and friends and any other student that was feeling frightened by what happened, or even if they were thinking of following the girl’s example.

It was not difficult to get a read on Kobayakawa’s character. The way Kobayakawa approached him over the phone, the way he spoke to him face-to-face made it clear that Kobayakawa was mostly concern about the school’s reputation and a few calls from parents than the student's mental health and well-being.

But, he wasn’t about to say no to this opportunity. Something like this was frightening no matter where they were in life. But while individuals were still literal children…

He descended the stairway outside leading to the front gate and took a left when something peculiar caught his eye.

Three students in the Shujin blazer just… _ran_ out of thin air. A group of three, two girls and a boy. The lone boy had the legs of his trousers rolled up a few times and his hair was bleached blond. One of the girls was likely half, he needed a closer look, with sandy blonde hair that had a natural look to it. The other girl had powder grey hair and black-framed glasses, she was the only one of the trio who hadn’t altered the uniform in any way.

They just ran out of thin air. He knew what he saw. Was it possible that…

He kept his eyes down on the sidewalk as he continued his trek. Perhaps he had one more reason to seriously consider the job at this school.

###### 

They brought Ann to the station before she could allow herself to calm down. Ann gave the verbal okay for Chiyo to explain what was going on. Ryuji took off to get the group a few drinks during the story. As Chiyo explained as best as she could, Ann brought the story to a halt several times with her questions, _‘Wait, that’s why you two were so late Monday?’ ‘So that’s why you were questioning the volleyball team?’ ‘So Kamoshida sees me as a walking sex toy?!’ ‘Kamoshida wants you to what?!’ ‘But why does that monster cat look like a regular cat now?’_

“Which one you want?” Ryuji asked, offering a couple of drinks to Ann.

“Whichever’s not carbonated.”

“Uh… they’re both actually,” he replied sheepishly.

Ann swiped the nearest bottle from Ryuji, who offered the remaining drink to Chiyo. Breaking it open, Chiyo took a cautious whiff. She could smell bubbles, with a hint of fruit. The first sip caused her brow to rise in a delightful surprise to find the taste of… pomelo, maybe. The belch that came out seconds later produced tears in the corners of her eyes. “Aw, jeez…” Chiyo breathed out patting her chest. “That kinda hurt…”

“What about me?” Morgana asked, his head poking out of Chiyo’s bag.

Ryuji crossed his arms over his chest and list his head. “But you’re a cat,” he said dumbly.

Chiyo’s brow rose in silent agreement. Could Morgana even have the foods cats normally couldn’t? Ignoring that question, it would likely raise more than a few eyebrows if they just gave a cat carbonated drinks.

“Have you calmed down, Lady Ann?” Morgana asked, changing the subject.

“Morgana, right?” Ann eyed the cat in Chiyo’s bag. She brought her free hand to her head. “I really am talking to a cat… This feels so strange… Oh, sorry!” Her hand flew to her mouth. “You’re not a cat, right?”

“It’s only natural that you’re confused. Demanding that you understand all of this right after what you went through is asking too much.”

“Unless your names are Ryuji and Chiyo, otherwise your expected to understand it all right off the bat,” quipped Chiyo.

Ann’s blue eyes traveled to Ryuji, silently asking his opinion on the matter, he just shrugged in response. “Oh,” she said allowing her face to drop, “Morgana’s one of _those_ types.”

“Wait, what types?!” Morgana asked frantically. “What types?! I’m not like those types!”

“Still,” Ann brought her hand back to her head, “I can’t believe what happened… And that power… my Persona… You two have them too, right?”

“It’s the will of your rebellion, Lady Ann,” Morgana explained, changing the subject. “With it, you’ll be able to fight in that other world.”

“So if what you told me is true, we can make Kamoshida have a change of heart, right? Can we actually force him to confess his crimes?”

“The volleyball team’s keepin’ quiet about this, while the teachers and parents turn a blind eye.” Ryuji slid his hands into his pants pockets. “If guys like us try and complain, they’re just gonna shoot us down. Goin’ all in on this plan is the only choice we got.”

Ann gripped her drink, letting out a humorless chuckle. “I thought about telling Shiho’s parents what she told me,” she confessed. “She told me Kamoshida forced himself. I know they’d take my word on it, but if it gets out, I’m sure Kamoshida will turn it around on me. Probably say I’m just looking for someone to blame at best. The whispers about me at school will not help in the matter. It’s too much bullshit to put the Suzui’s through right now.

“So, let me help too. I want to make him pay for what he did to Shiho. He just keeps going like nothing happened, even after he…” Ann grit her teeth for a moment. “I’ll never forgive him.”

“Wait,” Ryuji held a hand up, “did you just say, ‘let me help?’ As in you want us to take you along?”

“She has just as much of a right to as either of us,” said Chiyo.

“I agree,” said Morgana. “We are lacking in manpower, after all. Don’t worry, I’ll protect her.”

“Yeah… I really don’t think she needs it.”

“Fine, I guess you guys have a point,” sighed Ryuji.

“Then it’s decided,” announced Ann. “Well, I hope we get along!” She turned to Chiyo with a deadly serious look in her eye. “I’m going to make Kamoshida atone for what he did. Not just for Shiho’s sake… but for everything he’s done. I won’t let any more people suffer because of him. I’ll do whatever it takes!”

“Good to have you on board,” said Chiyo. “Oh! We should probably exchange numbers.”

It took about five minutes for Ann to add in her schoolmate's numbers and chat IDs. Less time for them to do the same with hers. “Let’s just make sure Morgana’s kept updated,” said Ann. She placed her phone in her bag and waved goodbye to the others before she walked off.

“What a kind girl,” Morgana purred. “Such admirable consideration for others. And the innocence to cast herself into the jaws of death to achieve her goal…”

Ryuji gestured to Chiyo’s bag. “Did he just imply she doesn’t understand what she’s getting herself into?”

“I… _think_ so…” Chiyo said dully.

“She cares about her friends, and she’s beautiful to boot,” Morgana continued, blissfully ignoring Ryuji and Chiyo’s words. “What a girl! She’s captured my heart…”

Chiyo could feel something vibrating throughout her bag. Morgana insisted he wasn’t a cat, yet here he was, purring. “You know,” said Ryuji, “it’d be better if this group could get together quickly from now on… “

“True,” Morgana’s purring ceased. “Our best option would be to make a secret hideout where we could discuss these things.”

“A hideout, huh?” pondered Ryuji. “I like the sound of that.”

“And how much of this is because it sounds cool?” Chiyo pondered aloud.

The fur along Morgana’s spine bristled. “I-I mean… It’s a better idea to discuss these things in private.”

“Yeah, okay, I’ll give you that.

“The school rooftop should fit that criteria. And Lady Ann was certainly right about one thing, I can’t keep in touch with you from inside a Palace. So I’ll stay in this world. That being said, I’ll need someone to take care of me. I’m personally nominating Chiyo. You should feel honored.”

“Wait, why me?! Why not Ryuji?!”

Ryuji shook his head. “There’s no way I can keep a cat at my place.”

“B-But I…” she looked down in half-hearted defeat, “I live over a restaurant…”

###### 

Kasumi had been hyper-focused on the tasks at hand. Her mom and granny were away for the weekend for a hot springs retreat, so that left her and her dad home alone until Monday. She figured on surprising Shinichi nice hot meal to come home to. Her sister used to do the same thing all the time before…

Lately, Kasumi had been taking it upon herself to ease into some of the household chores her sister did in her place. Even if Kasumi’s cooking skills were less than sub-par compared to her sisters…

Maybe if she tried her hand at something simple. Like fried rice?

The kitchen island was generously space, granting Kasumi a skyline view that was honestly better at night. Her sister always liked using it for her cooking projects for its space, that the kitchen sink was right there, and the burners were right behind her. The sink certainly made washing the vegetables easier.

She was in the middle of dicing celery when she heard the front door open with a loud _BANG_. A middle-aged man with graying black hair stood in the doorway. He had on his grey work suit under his long jacket; a pair of wire-frame glasses sat in front of his eyes. Despite pushing fifty Shinichi Yoshizawa was a handsome man, but anyone who knew him could see that he had aged within the last month or so.

“Dad?” Kasumi asked as soon as the shock left her. “Did you… run all the way up here?”

“I needed the workout...” Shinichi said, shrugging his jacket off. “You didn’t answer your phone.”

Arching her brow, Kasumi reached out to the far end of the island for her smartphone. After a little prodding, she found that there were three missed messages from Shinichi, five from her mom, and even one from Granny. “I’m sorry,” Kasumi sighed, placing the phone back down. “I’m not sure what happened, I didn’t have it on vibrate.”

“Your mother called me when you didn’t answer. She heard about what happened at your school today before I did…. Did you want to talk to him about what happened, he said you were okay to call him if you felt that you needed to.”

Kasumi placed the knife down on the cutting board, vaguely aware of Shinichi eyeing it. “I think I’m okay,” she said at length. “I didn’t know who the girl was-” She took a moment to flinch guiltily. Kasumi was talking like the girl was dead when she didn’t know if that were true or not. “- just that she’s a grade above me and on the volleyball team.”

“You’re sure?”

She nodded, her ponytail bouncing in conjunction with her. “I guess it _was_ kind of scary that someone tried to kill themselves at school in the middle of class. I suppose everyone will be talking about it for the next few days.”

“Well, the doctor just called me as I was on my way home. He said he might be doing a job at your school.”

“So that might work out pretty well!” Kasumi said cheerfully.

“Uh… yes,” Shinichi said uncertainly.

“Well, then, you just relax. I’ll see if I can get this fried rice ready before too long.”

Shinichi watched as his daughter went back to work. As cheerful as ever. As cheerful as her. He was relieved that what happened at school didn’t trigger anything. But it was still a struggle to look his daughter in the face.

They all knew she needed help after what happened, the doctor was recommended to him by Shibusawa from work. It was his mother-in-law Suisen who successfully coaxed her out of the bedroom. Shinichi and his wife, Tsutsuji, accompanied their daughter to the doctor’s office. The doctor said he might try a form of an experimental treatment plan.

Maybe the usage of the word ‘experimental’ should have been a red flag. Maybe Shinichi was just a desperate man trying to keep his surviving daughter alive. All he knew was that he brought his daughter to see the doctor, and she came out significantly happier than when she went in… Eerily happier, not quite like nothing happened, but a complete one-eighty all the same. What’s stranger still, was that she began acting… not like herself.

The doctor described it as being like a form of roleplay. That if she just spent a bit of time like this, she would get it out of her system. But only when she was ready to stop playing.

“That doctor is a scam artist,” Suisen said when they brought her home that evening. “ _Roleplay_ he calls it. _Avoiding the problem_ is what it is.”

Maybe he should talk to Tsutsuji when she got back. If nothing else they ought to talk to the doctor about this treatment plan. It was getting harder and harder for Shinichi to look his daughter in the face.

###### 

Chiyo stood outside Leblanc with her arms crossed. She did not want to go through with what was abound to be a discussion and try to convince Sojiro to let Morgana stay. “What’re you waiting for?” Morgana asked, poking his head out of Chiyo’s bag.

Heaving a sigh, Chiyo shoved Morgana back down and pulled the door open. There was a single customer, seated at one of the booths. For better or worse. “The store’s still open,” Sojiro said without looking up at her. “Go upstairs or be quick about going and coming.”

Chiyo didn’t say anything, instead opting to keep her head down, trying to be inconspicuous about Morgana in her bag. However, walking past the customer in the booth, Chiyo couldn’t help but look at her. Her black hair had a blue sheen to it and cut in a messy bob with blunt bangs. She had a black spiked choker around her neck and a black jacket over a blue dress. A different sort of beauty.

But Chiyo ended up staring too long. The woman looked up at her. “Yes?”

“Lay off the customers,” Sojiro ordered. “Sorry if she was rude, Doctor?”

“Doctor?” Chiyo echoed.

“I don’t mind,” said the woman. The woman placed a bit of money on the table before she got up. She revealed herself to be a rather slender woman with long legs. She had on a pair of heels that looked like they could easily stab any potential attacker. “Thanks for the coffee. I’ll see you later.”

“Come back again,” Sojiro called as the woman walked out the door. “And that’s it for the day.”

“Who was that?” asked Chiyo.

“She’s the head doctor over at the clinic down the street. Rumor has it she gives pretty crappy examinations and sells some weird homemade medicines on top of that. At least, that’s what I’ve heard. I haven’t been there myself. They should really just leave her alone. It’s not like she’s getting in the way of their lives…”

“They?”

“Hey,” Morgana spoke from the inside of Chiyo’s bag, “are we there yet?”

Chiyo paled instantaneously; Sojiro’s eyes wandered to the front door. Dare she hope he thought he heard an alley cat? “Anyway…” Sojiro said at length, “I’ve gotta get home and start making dinner.”

“Sure.” Chiyo nodded. “I should be fine with everything until tomorrow.”

She didn’t wait for Sojiro to respond with anything else. She hurried up to her room and dropped her bag on her bed. Morgana let out a small ‘oomph’ before he poked his head out. He climbed out of the bag and sat himself down on the bed; he scrutinized the room for a few moments in silence.

“What the heck is this place?!” he demanded. “Some kind of abandoned house?!”

“It’s an attic!” Chiyo hissed. “Keep your voice down before…”

She squeezed her eyes shut as she heard Sojiro’s footfalls travel up the stairs. Chiyo sighed, decided it was probably for the best he find out like this. Somehow she doubted it would matter if she was delicate about the situation. Morgana crouched down, his eyes on the approaching man. Perhaps he was afraid and that’s why he was crouching. Or perhaps he was trying to make himself cute and endearing. Chiyo could easily believe either option. “I knew I heard meowing… What did you bring it here for?!” demanded Sojiro.

Chiyo held her hands up in defense and went with what was technically true, “He followed me!”

Sighing, Sojiro removed his glasses and rubbed his temples with his free hand. “Look, this place is a restaurant. Animals are a no-go… Though I guess you might stay on good behavior if you’ve got a pet to take care of… Fine, it can stay.”

Chiyo’s head list to the right in shock. That was… easier than she was ever expecting. “But keep it quiet when we’re opening for business,” Sojiro continued. “And don’t let it roam downstairs, or I’ll toss it out. And make sure the cat hair is under control up here.” Turning, Sojiro headed back downstairs. “Like your clothes. It’s just common decency.”

“Yeah…” replied Chiyo. Her gaze traveled to the side, her brow arched, still trying to understand how easy this became. “Yeah…”

“Was that the ruler of this place?” Morgana asked when he was certain Sojiro was out of earshot.

“If you want to put it that way…”

“He seemed pretty understanding for someone who keeps you cramped up in this dump.” Chiyo couldn’t help the snort that escaped. Yeah, understanding. “Then again, I suppose to normal people I just sound like a regular house cat.”

“You look like a regular house cat.”

To the surprise of both of them, Sojiro came back upstairs with a saucer of white rice in hand. “Seriously, it had to keep calling out in that cute little voice…” he muttered.

“Make sure you wash that dish,” instructed Sojiro. “So… have you decided on a name yet?”

“Morgana.” Chiyo’s head tilted to the right once again as she heard Sojiro muttering something about him naming it. “Wow. I would never have pegged you as a cat person.”

“Hush, you. Don’t forget the dish.”

“I won’t.”

Sojiro went back downstairs again. Morgana’s tail started to happily sway. “Looks like the chief likes me better than you.”

“Because to him, you don’t talk back,” snarked Chiyo.

“Well, to be honest, this place is heaven compared to Kamoshida’s cells.”

Chiyo waited until she was certain Sojiro locked up for the night before she heated up a helping of cup ramen. Morgana was still working on his rice when she returned upstairs. Chiyo placed her cup ramen down and removed her blazer. “Remember how you guys asked me before what I am?” Morgana asked as Chiyo sat down at the edge of the bed.

“I guess. It might’ve gotten lost amongst the plethora of crap since then, but I think so.”

“To be honest…” Morgana lowered his head, “I don’t remember anything about my birth. I think the Metaverse's distortions made me lose both my memories and my true form.”

“And you’re… certain that form is human?”

“It has to be!” he asserted. “I mean, why else would a cat be able to talk like this? There’s no other possible explanation.”

Chiyo didn’t bother arguing that he wasn’t talking to _everyone_ , just a select few. Nor did she outwardly doubt that it was the only possible explanation. “There’s no doubt that the distortions were what caused me to lose my real self.” Morgana looked down at the saucer. “I’m sure that once they’re purged, I’ll finally be able to get that self back. And I have a pretty good idea of how to do it too. That’s why I was in the castle in the first place. Come to think of it… I didn’t get hungry over in that world…”

Morgana lowered his head to take another mouthful of rice. After a few minutes of silence, Chiyo took it as a sign it was okay for her to eat. Less than thirty minutes later the saucer was licked clean of rice, with an empty cup placed on top. There was a bit of idle chatter between the two. Morgana asked why Sojiro was making her eat nothing but cup ramen, but Chiyo quickly shot back that it was simply her giving it a try.

“Let me make myself clear,” Morgana said as Chiyo took the cup and saucer into her hands. “Your taking care of me won’t be for nothing. It’ll be give and take. Due to my knowledgeable and dexterous nature, I have a lot of intel on infiltration tools.”

“What kind of tools are we talking about?”

“I can’t tell you more unless we settle on a deal. In exchange for keeping me here, I’ll teach you about these tools. How does that sound?”

“Sure.”

“I like that answer. Then it’s a deal. I’ll lecture you about the infiltration tools over time. The power you used in the Palace was seriously amazing. The stronger that power gets, the more reliable it’ll be as a trump card.” Morgana scratched his ear with his back leg. “All right, I’m gonna stick with you wherever you go from today on. Personas are the strength born from one’s heart. Depending on what kind of life experience you gain, I bet it’ll affect that power as well! I expect great things from you. Don’t let me down, okay?”

Chiyo took care of Morgana’s plate and headed back upstairs. Her hands reached for the hem of her shirt before she paused. She glanced down at Morgana, her brow furrowed. “You uh…” she said tentatively, “you present as male?”

“Yes,” Morgana said irritably. Thinking about it for a moment, his ears plastered against his skull. “At least I think so… It feels right…”

“You know what?” Chiyo took her nightgown into her hands and headed for the stairs. “It doesn’t matter. I’d feel uncomfortable changing in front of you regardless.”

She changed clothes in the downstairs bathroom and idly realized she might need to do the same thing in the morning now. So she decided if Sojiro asked her about it, she would reply that she was trying to prevent him from accidentally walking in on her while changing.

During her sleep that night, Chiyo could have sworn something was weighing down on her. Come morning, she simply assumed it was Kamoshida’s threats getting to her. What Chiyo didn’t know, however, was that it was Morgana sleeping on her stomach throughout the night.

###### 

****

###### 

She didn’t realize what it was at first, what she did realize was where it was. And the moment Chiyo realized what she was feeling, her eyes snapped open. In her rush to get out of bed, she’d sent Morgana momentarily flying with a yelp, and skidding across the floor. Chiyo rushed downstairs, not caring if Sojiro was in the store, not caring if she was in her pajamas, and not caring if there were any customers.

Shit, shit, shit, _shit!_ It was on time, it had always been fairly regular, and it completely slipped her mind. Not that Chiyo didn’t have reason to forget it was coming.

She marched out of the bathroom and back upstairs with a flush on her cheeks. She only told Morgana they were leaving as soon as possible, that she needed to pick up something on the way to school. Without much complaint, Morgana stretched his back out as Chiyo got her uniform and made another trip down to the bathroom.

After Chiyo put her hair up, Morgana was already waiting in her bag, only ducking his head in when she looped it around her shoulder. She brought them to the nearest convince store and immediately went to cash out. Morgana complained a little bit when she placed the box inside her bag. Apparently, he had just gotten comfortable and the box threw him off.

They left the store and headed for the station. Chiyo was going to have to hope she got to school early enough to take care of the matter before class started.

###### 

“What’s wrong? You don’t look so good.”

“I haven’t been feeling well lately. My head’s all foggy, and I have no energy. I’ve tried every drug at the pharmacy, but nothing works. Do I have some new virus? Is this the onset of a psychotic breakdown?! Wh-What should I do?! Am I going to die?!”

“Calm down! Let’s just go to the clinic. Come on. I’m sure the doctor can prescribe something that’ll fix you right up!”

“Doctors have the best medicine, huh,” Morgana piped from Chiyo’s bag. “Wasn’t that customer at Leblanc last night a doctor?”

“That’s what Sojiro said,” said Chiyo. “Why? Do you have a cold?”

“No! I just thought it might be nice to have some strong medicine to use in the Palace.”

###### 

The day had gone by surprisingly calm, all things considered. Though whispers did flurry around here and there. Some claimed Suzui had died in the hospital. Others said the fall damaged her spine so she was paralyzed from the neck down. And then there were the whispers about the three student expulsion.

There were about thirty minutes left before class let out for the day when Chiyo’s phone started to vibrate. Reaching for her, she noticed Ann do the same. She knew Ryuji had sent them a message before she even looked at the screen.

|  Hey, we’re meeting up at the hideout after school, right?  
---|---  
|  Don’t text now! We’re in class!  
| But aren’t we rebels now?  
|  That’s beside the point!  
|  You’re actually listening to all this crap?  
|  Yeah, but none of it is really sticking today…  
| I know, right?  
|  Anyways, hideout after school?  
| Where exactly is this ‘hideout?’  
|  The school roof.  
| Wait, we can still go up there?  
| Ryuji and I’ve done it with no problem.  
|  Welp, I’ll be waiting. Just come on up once school’s over.  
| I’ll be there.  
|  Me too, I guess.  
|  I’ll fine you if you’re late!  
  
“Kusakabe!” Ushimaru shouted causing Chiyo and Ann to look up. “Pay attention! Is that how you listen when someone’s talking to you?!”

Ushimaru drew his arm back before anyone could realize it. The chalk went flying moments later. Chiyo’s natural reflexes, added with her gymnast agility, leaned to the left, out of the chalk’s path. “Kids these days have no respect for their elders,” Ushimaru muttered, getting out a fresh piece of chalk.

 _‘Start earning instead of demanding it, then we’ll talk,’_ thought Chiyo.

After spending the better part of the day cramped in either Chiyo’s bag, or her desk, Morgana took the opportunity to stretch out on the roof. “Looks like we're all here,” said Ryuji from his folding chair. “Mkay, let’s get goin’!”

“Hold on!” Morgana said. “It’s still too early for us to head to the Palace.”

“Why? Don’t we just gotta steal that Treasure thing?”

“Don’t underestimate the dangers of that place. We need to prepare.”

“Ain’t that Persona shit we got enough to deal with it?”

“I’d rather we not solely rely on it,” said Chiyo. “We’re always fatigued after using them.”

“And even if we didn’t use our Persona too often, there's still a very real chance those Shadow things could maim or kill us,” added Ann.

“That’s exactly what I mean.” Morgana nodded. “All it takes is one wrong move before you end up dead. That’s why we need to properly prepare before we head back in.”

“That much I understand,” said Ann. “But how exactly should we prepare?”

“I’m glad you asked, Lady Ann. First, we’ll need to find better equipment for all of you. I’d prefer all of us to have a gun. Ryuji’s doing okay, I guess, but if we end up separated, it’s good to have.”

“If that’s what you want, I know a kick-ass place,” said Ryuji.

“In that case, you can handle that side of things. The only other thing would be stocking up on medicine. Fatigue is unavoidable in a Palace, as Chiyo said.”

Ann asked, “And where can we get medicine?”

“Morgana and I heard about a clinic nearby yesterday,” Chiyo explained.

Morgana started scratching the back of his ear with his back leg. “Which means Chiyo and I have some business in Yongen, so let’s head off for today!”

###### 

“Takemi Medical Clinic,” Chiyo read aloud, staring at the sign. “It’s the only clinic we could find in the area. Sojiro said that she’s into some freaky shit.”

“If she’s the kind of doctor who gets sketchy rumors like that, maybe she’ll help us out,” Morgana explained. “She’s sure to understand the importance of secrecy.”

“And how much are we keeping secret?” asked Chiyo. “We can’t exactly be upfront about why we need ex-amount of medicine at a time.”

Morgana’s ears plastered against his skull. “I guess you’re right… Oh!” His ears perked back up. “You could just say you’re having trouble focusing in class. From what I saw today, it’s not that far from the truth.”

Chiyo released a sigh, her brow dropped, less than impressed. She headed upstairs and inside to find a small waiting room. The woman from last night sat behind the reception desk, she glanced up at Chiyo when she heard the door open. “Is this your first visit?”

“Yes.”

“I feel like I’ve seen you somewhere before…”

“At Leblanc. Last night.”

“Hmm…” she pursed her lips in thought. “Well, whatever… So, what’re you here for today?”

Chiyo rubbed the back of her neck and tried looking away bashfully. “I’ve… been feeling a bit lethargic lately…”

The woman pointed at the door beside the reception counter with her pen. “Please head to the exam room.”

 _‘Just like that?’_ Chiyo couldn’t help but think.

Takemi asked Chiyo several questions in the exam room, personal history, what she’s been feeling within the last week or so. Chiyo gave her a watered-down version of everything. Chiyo moved to Tokyo earlier in the week, transferred to a new school. When she mentioned Shujin’s name Takemi asked if it was the same Shujin where that girl threw herself off of the roof the day before.

“In a case like yours,” Takemi said at length, “it’s usually just due to stress. I’m going to prescribe you some pain relievers, okay? Actually,” she brought the tip of her pen to her lips in thought, “I still need to restock on those…” Shaking her head, clearing her thoughts, Takemi grabbed her clipboard and jotted down her notes. “So let’s go with sleeping pills. Sleep is the best medicine anyway. Which type of pill do you want, a sweet-tasting one or a bitter one?”

Sleeping pills? Sleeping was hardly an issue after going to the other world. And, call it a hunch, but Chiyo was certain that wasn’t what Morgana had in mind. “I’d rather take the painkillers.”

“Huh?” Takemi looked slightly bemused by Chiyo’s question. “You’re the patient here, you know. Do you think you should be telling me how to do my job?”

“I’m not. I just don’t think this is an issue that can be solved by sleeping meds.”

“So, it’s just like I thought,” Takemi said in a sing-song tone. She pointed her pen straight at Chiyo. “You’re not sick at all, are you? I’m not as dumb as I look, you know.”

“I never insinuated you were dumb,” Chiyo said.

“And it’s a good thing you didn’t. I'm guessing you’re here because you heard the rumors about me, huh?”

Did it really count as a rumor if Chiyo only heard about Takemi from one source? Still, she fiddled with a lock of hair. “Does that mean they’re true?” she asked.

“Who’s to say? But as a result, all I get are patients with ulterior motives now.”

Chiyo bit on her lower lip. Maybe this was a bad idea. It sounded like Takemi was having a difficult time with business as it was. “I guess high school kids have it tough nowadays too, huh?” Takemi said before Chiyo had a chance to reply.

“Huh?”

“But only medication that will help you recover your health. I guess it’s fine. You seem pretty earnest, and you don’t look like you’ll be any trouble.”

Chiyo fought down the bout of laughter that wanted to erupt. She didn’t look like she’d be any trouble? If that wasn’t the first time Chiyo heard that in weeks.

“This is my private practice,” Takemi explained. “All the medicine I dispense is original. I have a license to make my own formulas. You’ve likely seen them being sold at various hospitals. It’s your responsibility to take care of yourself. So if that’s okay with you, stop by anytime.”

“Thank you,” Chiyo bowed her head briefly, “that’ll really help.”

“Well, it’s nice that you’re so quick on the uptake. Saves me the hassle.” She twirled to the side on her chair and pulled out a bottle of pills from a drawer at her desk. “You’re a pretty weird kid, you know?”

“I’ve been called that a lot lately, so, kind of,” said Chiyo.

Takemi placed the pill bottle on the desk in front of Chiyo. “I can’t say I’m not curious about what you’re doing with that,” she said, tapping her finger against the bottle. “But, as long as you don’t cause me any trouble, it’s not my problem. This is all I’ve got right now. It’s fast-acting, so if you’re feeling a bit fatigued just take one. But I don’t recommend downing them like candies.”

Chiyo took the bottle into her hand as Takemi explained this. She turned it over, reading the name on the label. “‘Recov-R?’”

“The names a work-in-progress. Take care.”

Chiyo pocketed the bottle and handed Takemi ¥800. There was a man in a black suit in the waiting room when Chiyo opened the door. She stepped out of the way, allowing the man to pass by. He closed the door behind him, and Chiyo would have left right then and there, were it not for the tone in Takemi’s tone when she spoke, “What’s the reason for your visit? Do you have a cold? Stomachache? Athlete’s foot? Whatever it is, you’ll need to take a number-”

“Enough of this! You’re the only one who could have developed that type of medicine.”

“I’m afraid I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“Don’t play dumb with me. Rumor has it, it’s a drug so potent it can give a person unlimited power.”

“Really? That’s news to me.”

“Developing experimental drugs, medicine, and herbal remedies violates all health regulations. Are you attempting to create a super-stimulant? A drug like that will only become a social issue.”

“You’re really persistent, you know that? I’m just a quack.”

“The police may not be taking action, but I imagine the media will soon pick up on it. You intend to ruin my reputation again, huh? You’re a disgrace to the medical community.”

A moment of silence. Chiyo’s hand hovered over the doorknob.

“What’s with the look?” the man asked. “That was your mistake, was it not? I won’t be responsible for your criminal actions. Dispose of that ‘medicine’ immediately and resign. The name Tae Takemi will never-”

Chiyo shuffled her feet, an action that did not go unnoticed by the man in the suit. “Is somebody there?!”

###### 

“Geez, that was a close one,” Morgana muttered. “Sounded like they were talking about something dangerous…”

“Speaking of dangerous, you sure you want to use this stuff?” Chiyo held her phone between her shoulder and ear. She wasn’t actually talking to anyone on the other line, but she figured it looked better than a girl who was talking to her bag, or the cat inside in the middle of the grocery store. “I’m just a little concerned about possible side-effects.”

“I’m kind of, too. But I also don’t think she’d give you those pills if there was a huge risk of side effects. Or, at least, she would have told you.”

“Yeah, I guess you have a point.” Chiyo took two trays of sushi in her hands, surveying them. “If something were to happen because she didn’t tell us, I don’t doubt she’d have a court case on her hands.”

“It sounded she might be hiding some extra strong medicine…”

“I highly doubt she’d just give it to us, though.”

“She might if we get her to cooperate with us.”

“Maybe… But if it looks like it’s going to take too long, I’d rather we call it quits on that endeavor.”

“Okay, I’ll give you that.”

Chiyo placed one of the sushi trays down and picked up a can of fish. She was checking out when the phone buzzed; she nearly dropped it out of fright.

|  You know there’s a shop in Shibuya that sells model guns.  
---|---  
| I’d be glad to take you there if you want.  
  
“Is he asking me to go with him?” Chiyo wondered aloud.

|  Sure. Where do we meet?  
---|---  
|  Just Shibuya station?  
| Hey. I can’t make it. Can I trust you guys to check the place out for me?  
| You can’t come?  
|  You wanted to come?  
| What’s that supposed to mean?!  
| I made plans to go see Shiho in the hospital.  
| Ah, gotcha.  
| Don’t worry, we got this.  
|  Hope she’s doing okay.  
| I’m sure she appreciates the thought.  
| I’ll see ya in Shibuya, Chiyo! I’ll be in front of the station!  
  
###### 

**The Lovers Rank 1  
The Magician Rank 1**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One area where Atlus really dropped the ball in the third semester was not showing how Maruki’s methods could be harmful. Or at least not bringing it to the forefront, given how many prefer the Bad End. Then again, when you’re options are the bad end and that craptastic “True” End it’s like asking if you want to die through poison or a bullet in the head. Getting back on topic, ‘Sumi especially should have been shown hurting people because… frankly, it’s _really_ sick. It’s one of the reasons why I can’t empathize with her. Yes, what happened was awful, but she’s not the only one suffering because of what happened. And the worst part is, everyone else is living with it, when the truth comes out, you literally have to drag her back to reality kicking and screaming. I felt worse for Shinichi, a character has, what, twenty-thirty lines at best, than I ever did for ‘Sumi. 
> 
> I was surprised by how unsurprised I was when I realized it was pretty easy to explain Maruki’s cameo, even within the context of the game itself. Helps that Shujin has been pretty transparent about covering their asses from potential PR disasters. It doesn’t seem like that much of a stretch to assume Kobayakawa was working out something with Maruki after Shiho jumped, then he stuck around after Kamoshida’s confession.


	12. Chapter Eleven

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **TRIGGER WARNING: Vaguely threatening behavior.**

**Chapter Eleven  
Untouchables**

###### 

**_Sunday, April 17th_ **

###### 

Chiyo dressed in a long-sleeved, charcoal-gray dress made from thick, cozy material. The hem went down to her knees; she had on a pair of black leggings and wore a pair of brown boots. Over the dress, she had on an off-white waterfall cardigan. Perfect for chilly weather.

She had relocated Morgana into an oversized, light brown purse her mom bought for her last birthday. Chiyo hadn’t really cared for it when she received it. It was too big for what Chiyo intended on carrying. It was the kind of handbag one of those overly prepared moms who always had extra snacks on their person owned. But it was the only other bag she had that was big enough to carry Morgana.

As promised, Ryuji met with them outside of Shibuya station. He had on a thick purple jacket with a black t-shirt underneath. He had on a set of black jeans and yellow sneakers. Ryuji was easy to find, waving Chiyo over when he spotted her. “Looks like you made it,” he greeted. “M'kay, let’s get goin’. The shop’s over here!”

Ryuji lead Chiyo across the station square, often looking over his shoulder at her. Chiyo would have told him that he didn’t need to worry about her getting lost, but Chiyo wasn’t sure if she could hold up that promise.

“Everyone, wake up!” shouted an older man. He wasn't old enough to be what one thought of when they heard ‘elderly.’ But he wasn’t a spring chicken any longer. “This country is twisted!”

“This politician’s actually saying something relevant,” Morgana purred from Chiyo’s bag. “But not many people are stopping to listen.”

“Eh, people give speeches all the time. Plus politics are pretty boring, anyway,” Ryuji said nonchalantly.

“Isn’t there supposed to be an election for Prime Minister later in the year?” asked Chiyo.

“Dunno.” Ryuji clapped Chiyo on the back. “C’mon, we’re almost there. Just stay close.”

Ryuji lead the way to Shibuya Central Street. Chiyo had to force herself to keep her eyes on Ryuji, though the need to stare and gawk was tempting. Ryuji lead her to the back alley’s, only stopping at a shop with a neon-green sign reading ‘Untouchable’ over the door.

“Here we are. Pretty legit, huh?” Ryuji said upon arrival. “By the way, now that we’re here… you know anything about military stuff?”

Chiyo arched her brow nervously. “No…?”

“Ah, I guess if worst comes to worst we can just ask the shopkeep what they recommend.”

The inside of the shop was fairly narrowed, with display cases and shelves, and mannequins wearing the available gear. A middle-aged man in a heavy grey coat sat behind the checkout counter. He rested his booted feet on the counter while he flipped through a magazine. He wore a black shirt under his coat and a pair of blue jeans; he kept a set of yellow ear defenders around his grey cap.

“All the stuff in here looks so real,” Ryuji said, eyeing everything in wonder. “I dunno what I like best.”

“You don’t want the pistol?” Chiyo asked.

“It doesn’t really scream ‘me.’ Maybe we should try askin’ that guy behind the counter.” Ryuji gestured to the man.

It was still difficult to believe a model gun had any sort of real effect in the Metaverse. But on the other hand, it was a comfort to know it couldn’t do the same damage as a real gun in the real world. Assuming they were careful anyway.

Chiyo approached the man behind the counter. Upon closer inspection, she could see a gecko tattoo on the side of his neck and a couple of piercings in his ear. She cleared her throat and tapped her knuckle against the surface. “You know what you want yet?” the man asked barely looking away from his magazine.

“Not quite,” Chiyo said. “We’re also buying for a friend who couldn’t make it with us. We were hoping for a recommendation or two.”

“Recommendation, huh?” He shrugged. “I dunno, just buy whatever looks interestin’ to you.”

“Some customer service,” murmured Ryuji.

“Fine,” the man tossed his hand up, “whaddya want? An automatic? A revolver?”

“Uh… automatic? Dude, why’re you talkin’ about cars now?!”

“An automatic continues to fire rounds so long as your finger’s on the trigger,” Chiyo explained under her breath.

“At least you brought someone who knows a thing or two,” said the man. “This here’s an enthusiast shop. My regulars’ll be pissed if I let a casual like you hang around.”

“I’m not a freakin’ casual!” Ryuji held his arms out at his side. “I bought shit from here like… _last week!_ ”

“Don’t remember. “And you?” the man asked, eyeing Chiyo. “You have a better idea what you’re lookin’ for?”

“Something realistic looking,” said Chiyo. “But easy to carry around despite.”

Ryuji leaned to the side and whispered to Chiyo, “Dude I want a shotgun.”

“Something that at least looks like a shotgun, I guess. Something like a Mossberg 500 and… maybe a Glock, not sure about the last one...”

“Was that Japanese?” Ryuji asked incredulously.

The man’s shoulders shook with a brief chuckle. “You a collector?”

“I’ve done a little research here and there,” said Chiyo. By ‘research’ she meant Ryou had a brother who was a collector. Chiyo was just trying to remember every tidbit she heard him list off to her other uncles during family get together. So she was just bullshitting it. “You’re way more interestin’ than blondie over there,” said the manager.

“Sh-Shut it!” Ryuji muttered with a flushed face.

“You shoulda said before you were a budding enthusiast. I’m always up for helpin’ fresh faces.” He placed his feet on the floor and finally closed his magazine. “Some precautions first though-”

“Don’t point them a people,” Chiyo said, mimicking her uncle. “Treat it like it were a real gun. Make sure all players are ready and when someone calls out, hold fire until they’re off the field.”

“And don’t let the fuzz catch wind of you having ‘em,” the man added. “I don’t need them comin’ around here.”

“We’ll be careful.” Chiyo turned towards her friend and asked in a pleasant tone, “Right, Ryuji?”

“Uh… Right,” Ryuji stuttered.

“You damn well better be,” said the manager. He pulled a set of keys out of his pocket and unlocked one of the display cases. He took out a black pistol and placed it on the counter. “Now, if you look close, you’ll be able to tell there’re models. Real guns feel… different.”

Curious, Chiyo took the Glock into her hands, making sure her finger was away from the trigger. “Part of it’s in the weight,” said Chiyo. “Plastic pelts don’t weigh as much as steel bullets.”

“A’ight,” the man stood up, “though you understand that, I might show you the good stuff someday. One minute, I’ll get what I’ve got.”

Ryuji leaned to the side, watching as the manager disappeared into the back room. “Dude,” he said under his breath, “since when’d you know about guns? You said you didn’t know anything military.”

“Military, yeah. My uncle, Hinato’s a collector,” explained Chiyo. “I was just parroting everything he said.”

“Well, I’m glad you did. Don’t think I woulda gotten this far if it was just me.” He reached into his pocket. “And here’s the cash for mine. Hope you picked out something good!”

The manager came back moments later with the Mossberg 500 replica. Ryuji’s eyes lit up like a kid in a candy store when he laid eyes on it. He brought back a few others to choose from, to Chiyo’s surprise, there was a submachine gun, assault rifles, and revolvers.

“So, what do we get Ann?” Chiyo asked Ryuji in a hushed tone.

“How should I know? You know more about this stuff than I do. Apparently.”

“Yeah, second hand.”

“If I can have a word in,” Morgana said as quietly as he could, “I think someone of Lady Ann’s regality would thrive with a revolver.”

Chiyo ran a hand through her hair. Truth be told Chiyo thought Ann would have liked something powerful enough to shoot the Shadow Kamoshida’s nuts off. But she could just recognize certain types, she had no idea how the power differed.

They ultimately decided on a submachine model. Not for any particular reason, certainly not because the manager offered any insightful advice. It was more because the pair were afraid of loitering for too long just to make a discussion.

Between the three the price came up to ¥5800. Between Chiyo’s own savings, and the yen Ryuji pitched in they were able to cover the charges. Ryuji seemed pretty confident he could bring his shotgun home without a problem. Meanwhile, Chiyo’s bag grew a little cramped for Morgana with two model guns inside.

Almost as soon as Chiyo and Ryuji parted ways Chiyo’s phone started to buzz.

|  So, I went to see Shiho at the hospital…  
---|---  
|  How is she?  
|  Her condition is stable.  
|  They don’t know when she’ll regain consciousness though.  
|  I’m sure she’ll be okay.  
|  Yeah. She’ll get better, I know it.  
| I just need to believe in her.  
| I thought about talking to her parents again. Tell them what she told me…  
| Did you tell them?  
| I keep thinking about it. But I also keep thinking about the chaos that’s bound to ensue.  
| But I also think they should hear what happened through either me or Shiho. Maybe Shiho more than me…  
| But on the other hand, I don’t what them to go through all the ‘he said, she said’ bullshit when they’re going through enough right now.  
|  Sounds like your going in circles about all this?  
| I am. I don’t know what’s the right thing to do in this situation.  
| In the end… I’ll never forgive Kamoshida. He’s going to pay for what he did, no matter what.  
  
“We’re just about ready to go to the Palace,” Morgana said, looking over Chiyo’s shoulder the entire time. “We need to assemble some infiltration tools. We’ll just need to get the proper materials on the way home.”

“And what materials are those?” Chiyo asked cheekily.

“A box of hairpins. And a padlock.”

“Hm?”

Walking through Shibuya, Chiyo tried to rotate the shoulder she was carrying Morgana with. Was carrying a cat in her bag good for her neck and shoulder? Maybe Chiyo needed to look into specific stretches for that area.

She readjusted her glasses just as she noticed a small crowd in front of a shop sandwiched between two other stores. She could hear something, music. It sounded like a guitar playing something Chiyo thought might have come from the west, but she didn’t have the name for it. It was the kind of song you swayed to, grooved to. Not the kind of music you choreographed full numbers to.

Curious, Chiyo pushed and weaved herself through the crowd to find a lone performer in the middle of a semi-circle. He had a cheap folding chair in front of him, his foot planted on it, helping him to prompt his guitar up as his fingers danced across the strings. There was a black device on the ground, with a cable trailing inside the shop. Whatever the device was, it was playing a beat over and over, adding to the number.

The performer was a man in his mid-twenties, his black hair looked feathery, easy to style. His bangs were long enough that they shielded his eyes as he played. Chiyo could see a couple of tattoos on his middle and ring fingers, but couldn’t see what the design was supposed to be. He wore a pair of black jeans, a pair of worn, black converses, a white t-shirt, and a black and white flannel shirt over it.

The man looked lost in the moment, his eyes, presumably, locked on the guitar and the strings as one hand moved up and down the neck, the other hand gently pulling at the strings. When was the last time Chiyo got lost like that? When nothing else mattered but the moment.

There was a part of Chiyo that would have liked to play some kind of instrument. But she didn’t have the time, not when she was supposed to be a gymnastics champion. If she wasn’t working on her routines, she was focused on school. So seldom did Chiyo have time for something she would have liked to do, would have liked to try.

She had more time now, didn’t she?

The pressing issue was money.

Around her, the crowd began clapping. The performer had finished his song and reached down for a bottle of water Chiyo hadn’t seen. Chiyo offered her own round of applause to the man as he stretched his fingers. As he took a swig from his bottle of water, Chiyo turned around and continued her trek.

###### 

Haru Okumura studied herself in her vanity mirror wearing nothing but her undergarments and white nylons. Her hands hovered over her belly as she turned to study her profile. She looked just fine, maybe a little chubby, but it was nothing that put her at a health risk.

But her own self-reassurance did little to stop Sugimura’s little comment from bouncing around in her head. “Think you can lose a few pounds before the wedding, or should we just plan for liposuction now?”

She had been introduced to her fiancé earlier that day. The son of a politician; her father was hoping a marriage between them would help him get a leg up in the world of politics. Sugimura was a well-groomed young man, a few years older than Haru, perhaps he should have been in the middle of college right now. But as far as she knew he never went.

Her father had been talking about marrying Haru off to someone since she entered high school. Now, here she was, final year, being introduced to her fiancé. And one of the first things he says to her is pretty much about how her physical appearances don’t meet his standards.

Arms wrapped around herself, Haru eased back until the back of her legs met the foot of her bed and sat down. Her father made it sound like any wedding would only happen after she graduated. All Haru had to do was be a little optimistic.

###### 

Upon buying the items Morgana requested they headed back to Leblanc. Chiyo made a mental note to recount what she had left of her funds. Then take into consideration what she needed to do when it ran dry. She brought her things back upstairs, got her toiletries and a laundry bag, and headed across the street. She put her clothes in the wash, then headed into the bathhouse. When she finished, she still needed to wait on the dryer, so Chiyo fiddled around with her phone apps.

She had her laundry bag slung over her shoulder when she returned to Leblanc. What a sight she must have looked like. “Boss, did you hear?” Chiyo heard upon entering the café. “Apparently that last subway driver from the accident was acting really odd during his testimony hearing.

“You talking about that psychotic whatever thing people’re going on about?” Sojiro asked from the other side of the bar.

“Yeah, I heard it completely alters your personality. The news is saying the driver couldn’t even speak when they tried asking him questions.”

“There’s no way a preposterous story like that could be true,” Sojiro said indifferently. “And sorry, but we’re closing soon.”

“How rude,” the customer huffed. “This must be why you don’t get many customers.”

“Thanks for stopping in,” Sojiro said, unaffected by the customer's comment. “Please come again.”

The customer let out a ‘humph.’ “I only say this out of politeness, but… thanks for the coffee.”

“What a pain,” Sojiro muttered as soon as the customer left.

“You always treat your patrons like that?” Chiyo asked, readjusting her grip on her bag.

“You’re not one to talk with that attitude,” Sojiro shot back. “It’s all good as long as the shop doesn’t fail. I’m not gonna go wearing a fake smile.”

“That’s your business philosophy?”

“It’s nothing like that. As long as I’m here, the world leaves me be. No annoyances or troublesome people to deal with. It’s like my own personal hideaway.”

“So, you’d rather avoid confrontation?” asked Chiyo. “That’s dumb.”

“And where did getting into confrontation get you?” Sojiro countered.

_‘Fuck you!’_

Shaking her head, Chiyo silently headed upstairs. “Has he always been lording that over you?” Morgana asked from the bed as Chiyo climbed the last step.

“You know what ‘that’ is?”

“Don’t forget I was sneaking around the school for a bit. I heard some of the rumors surrounding you, so I have an idea at least.”

Chiyo placed her bag on the floor, then plopped herself down on her bed. “More or less,” she said. “First day here he said I shouldn’t have gotten into a couple of adult's business. But that’s overlooking the fact that some drunkard was putting the moves on a terrified woman! And I would not put it past him to rape her as soon as they were in his car!”

She sensed that Morgana had more questions, but he opted not to press the matter further. He trotted across the bed and eyed the desk Chiyo was using to store the various old cookbooks Sojiro collected. “This desk here will make a good work desk. Mind clearing it off? I’ll show you how to make and work an infiltration tool.”

It took Chiyo four trips across the room to store the books on the shelf by her bed. Then it took ten minutes of dusting the desk until Morgana was satisfied. When the desk was cleared off, Chiyo sat on the stool with the box of hairpins in front of her while she removed the padlock from its card.

Morgana sat close by on the desk, walking Chiyo through as she molded one pin into a pick, and another into a lever. When that was done Morgana wanted Chiyo to actually pick a lock. It took the better part of an hour before Chiyo unlocked it the first time. Almost immediately Morgana made Chiyo do it again, and again, and again until he was confident Chiyo had an idea of what she needed to look for in a new lock. “Great!” Morgana stretched out his back. “We should be ready to continue infiltration tomorrow.”

“Get that Treasure as soon as possible.” Chiyo cracked her knuckles. “So, what do we do if the Treasure’s too large for us to carry?”

“Oh, ye of little faith,” Morgana said while purring. “I happen to have a few tricks up my sleeves.”

“What sleeves?” Chiyo asked. She poked Morgana on the nose, causing him to shake from his head to his shoulders. “In all seriousness, what kind of trick?”

Morgana puffed his chest. “Now what good would it do to reveal all my secrets now?”

Chiyo pursed her lips, pretending to think. “A lot, actually.” She stretched again and bit back a yawn. “And… it’s time for bed.”

As Chiyo readied for bed, she looked up a few guitars on her phone. Her heart sank a little when she found out the cheapest went for nearly five thousand, two hundred yen. And that might have been preowned. Newer ones could go for nearly sixteen thousand or more.

Then there was a lesson or two to think of. Maybe a few books.

Lying back in bed, Chiyo’s arm crossed over her eyes.

_‘Fuck you capitalism...’_

###### 

**_Monday, April 18th_ **

###### 

She saw Kamoshida outside of campus, greeting the students. Chiyo’s stomach dropped almost immediately when she realized he was there. There was no doubt in her mind that Kamoshida was looking to make a statement to three students in particular. “Good morning, Kusakabe,” Kamoshida said upon spotting her.

“Good morning,” she said simply.

Chiyo kept her gaze forward as she headed for the flight of stairs leading to the front door. She was suddenly jerked to the side, Kamoshida had grabbed her by the upper arm again. Unsurprisingly, Chiyo had found bruises on her arm after that day in Kamoshida’s office. When she went to the bathhouse with the old ladies again, she tried to wave it off as a classmate grabbing her by the arm when she nearly fell. Whether or not they believed her, Chiyo had no idea.

Kamoshida pulled Chiyo close to him, allowing him to whisper in her ear, so close she could feel his breath against her skin, “That admirable behavior won’t do you any good once you’re expelled. You’re better off taking my offer.”

_“Quit squirming. I need you to look the part of the little whore.”_

Chiyo launched back with such a force she nearly fell back. Her heart raced in her chest, her blood had gone cold. In the corner of her eye, Chiyo noticed someone approaching them. Her head turned slightly to find Niijima. She couldn’t read the student council president's expression, she didn’t give herself the time to. Chiyo bolted upstairs, through the front door. “Just needed to give her a warning,” Chiyo managed to hear Kamoshida say. Were there other students who saw? “We can’t be too careful with this one.”

As expected of her, Chiyo took her seat behind Ann, still feeling a little jittery. When homeroom started Kawakami relayed a few upcoming events in the school. And shot down pretty quickly that the staff couldn’t discuss Suzui’s condition beyond ‘she’s stable.’ “Well, that wraps up homeroom period,” Kawakami said at length, fiddling with her hands briefly. She looked to her left, eyes falling upon Chiyo. “Kusakabe-san. A word with you, please?”

Chiyo’s stomach dropped again as a few snickers and whispers echoed around the room. Obediently, Chiyo stood up and followed Kawakami out of the classroom and down the hall. In front of the guidance office, Kawakami finally turned around. “There’s something I’d like to ask you. It won’t take long.”

The door suddenly slid open; Kamoshida walked out with a girl with dark auburn hair done in a ponytail, and the counselor. It was the vaguely familiar girl from the train. “I see you’re already getting on top of the problem I’d mentioned this morning, Kawakami-san,” Kamoshida said jovially. “I appreciate the support.”

“Oh! Thank you again,” the girl said to Chiyo, seemingly oblivious to Kamoshida’s words.

“Oh, you know this girl, Yoshizawa?”

“Yes, she lent me a helping hand last week.”

“I recommend you steer clear of the likes of her if you have any consideration for your future. Remember the discussion we just had? There are several students in this school you shouldn’t get involved with… And this one’s at the top of the list.”

_‘I think who she chooses to associate herself with is her own damn business,’_ Chiyo couldn’t help but think, her hands balled so hard her nails no doubt left marks on her palms.

Yoshizawa tilted her head slightly and scrutinized Chiyo. “Oh! The delinquent transfer student?” she gasped.

“Sorry to interrupt,” Kawakami said, sounding tired and put upon, “but I needed to use the guidance office.”

“Oh, pardon me,” said Kamoshida. “We should be going to – don’t want to get in the way of guiding this delinquent and all.”

Without another word, both Kamoshida and the counselor walked off, both parting ways at the stairway. Yoshizawa bowed her head momentarily. “Please, excuse me.”

Yoshizawa, Yoshizawa… Chiyo was certain she had heard that name before, but couldn’t think of where. This was beginning to bug her now.

Sighing, Kawakami gestured to the counselor's office silently saying ‘after you.’ The walls were lined with bookshelves, packed with books and binders. A computer desk sat at the end of the room a few meters away from a long folding table with a few metal folding chairs. Chiyo and Kawakami took a seat across from each other at the end of the table. “I’m going to get straight to the point,” Kawakami said through a sigh, “did something happen between you and Kamoshida-sensei?”

Though she already had an inkling of where this was coming from, Chiyo played dumb and asked, “Why do you ask?”

“Well there was that little exchange just now, but that’s not all. He gave me a brief lecture this morning, and your name came up. Something about the dangers of a lack of supervision…”

Chiyo kept her hands under the table, otherwise, Kawakami would have seen how tightly she balled them up again, and how they trembled. Did Kamoshida tell her that after meeting Chiyo at the gate this morning and this was his way of telling her he was serious? Or had he always planned on talking to Kawakami? Could he have had this discussion with her after school on Saturday?

She could say something to Kawakami. If not about Suzui, then about the ultimatum. But what good would it do in the end? It was her word against Shujin’s golden boy.

When Kawakami saw that Chiyo had every intention to keep her mouth shut, she sighed again. “I don’t mean to pry, but… Just make sure you don’t go causing trouble, okay? And one more thing,” she leaned back in her seat, “that girl outside the office – you didn’t say anything uncouth to her, did you?”

“We just bumped into each other on the way to school last week,” Chiyo said a bit coldly. “Then we ran into each other now.”

“Uh-huh. Kamoshida-san has a real close eye on you… Apparently, you’ve been getting involved with Sakamoto-kun. And then you acquaint yourself with Yoshizawa-san as well. Maybe you’re just naturally drawn to athletes?”

_‘Well, I was an athlete, too,’_ Chiyo thought flippantly. _‘Do you know that, or did you stop reading on my personal history after the accusations?’_

“Sorry,” Kawakami raked a hand through her bangs. “That was a bad joke. That’s all I wanted to discuss. You’re free to go.”

Without another word, Chiyo went back to class. She got the feeling her classmates could sense the irritation coming off her as this time around, there were no whispers. She took her seat in the back of the class and rested her head in the palm of her hand.

By mid-morning, she could feel her phone vibrating.

|  So I saw Kamoshida at the school gate this morning.  
---|---  
| He was just standing there looking at me with this shit-eating grin on his face.  
| He was encouraging me to take his ‘offer.’  
|  Right, I almost forgot about his ultimatum.  
|  Rat bastard  
| That son of a bitch.  
| Honestly, all this is getting me even more fired up about this.  
| Yeah, I’m worried about Shiho, but I want to concentrate on our operation too.  
| And I won’t let myself get exhausted like last time.  
|  We’ve got until May 2nd. We’ve got plenty of time.  
|  Hey, I’m ready to go as soon as possible.  
|  Me too!  
|  Morgana thinks we’re ready to head in.  
|  Meet up after school?  
|  I’ll be there.  
|  Just don’t go in without me.  
  
Time went by slower after that conversation. After two days spent preparing for the next infiltration, she was ready as she’d ever be. Chiyo just hoped she was still gearing for it when school let out.

###### 

Once let out on the roof, Morgana stretched out his back and legs, then he shook himself from head to tail. For someone who kept claiming he wasn’t a cat, he displayed a lot of cat-like traits like it were second nature. “I hope you all understand that our time limit is May 2nd,” he said.

“We basically just have to go to that castle and steal the Treasure from Kamoshida, right?” asked Ann.

“But wait, what even is a Treasure?” Ryuji inquired. “I wanna know that before we really do anything.”

Chiyo‘s head list to the right “It’s a person’s distorted desires, right?”

“Yes, but it takes physical forms,” added Morgana. “To put it another way, it’s the core of the Palace. Once we steal it, the Palace will crumble… I think. Having all that, even I don’t know what Kamoshida’s Treasure is going to be.”

“I have a few ideas…” Ann muttered under her breath.

“There’s no way of knowing until we find it. But if I had to guess, I’d say he has it locked up somewhere in the depths of the Palace. Our objective today is to find the Treasure’s location. Make sure we go about this with time to spare so we can avoid any unforeseen circumstances.”

“So,” Chiyo took her phone out of her pocket, “we ready to head in?”

###### 

With a unanimous agreement, the group relocated to the alley before Chiyo punched in the keywords. Ann yelped when her red jumpsuit and mask appeared on her person. She frantically patted down her arms and shoulders. Her fingers felt around her mask, investigating every crevice, feeling the shape of it. “Were you expecting a kind of magical girl transformation?” Joker asked playfully.

“Kind of!” Ann’s voice cracked slightly.

“But damn,” Skull breathed out, scrutinizing Ann with interest.

“What’s up?”

Joker could just make out the flush through Skull’s mask. “N-Nothing,” he looked away, “I was just thinkin’ we should choose a code name for you too.”

“A code name?”

“I’m Skull, she’s Joker, and that’s Mona.” Skull gestured to the person in question as he listed off the code names.

Mona crossed his arms. “Judging by your costume...”

“I mean, she’s got that tail and stuff, so…” Skull glanced at Joker. “Whadda you think, Joker?”

Shrugging, Joker's lips opened slightly in a lopsided grimace. “I don’t know… Catgirl?”

Ann held her hand up. “ _No way_! If that’s what you’re going to call me from now on, I am _so not_ down for that!”

“Well, what do you want, then?”

“Something better than just a little cat,” Ann murmured. She gripped her chin in thought; her eyes lit up when an idea came to her. “Maybe ‘Panther?’ That sounds pretty cool, doesn’t it?”

Joker nodded in approval. “The image does strike more fear than a house cat would.”

“Exactly!”

“She’s a cougar~” purred Morgana.

“Don’t call me that!” Panther shook her head, clearing her thoughts before she glanced at Joker. “More importantly, Kamoshida…”

Joker handed Panther the submachine gun and got a sense of delight when Panther’s eyes lit up. “So, this’ll work as though it were a real gun?” she asked.

“Yep. Though it’s just an Airsoft in the real world.”

“That’s kind of cool."

“C’mon!” Skull whined impatiently. “Let’s start fresh and get goin’!”

Something prevented Joker from moving forward with the rest of the team. A strange sensation came over her like someone was watching her. Ignoring the others, Joker slowly turned around. She could have leaped out of her skin when she spotted Henry, standing in front of a blue cell door. “What’re you…?” she tried to say. “How are you…?”

“My master want’s a word with you.” With one hand behind his back, Henry pushed the door open with the other. “Hop to it, Maggot.”

Joker bit at the corner of her lower lip; exhaling through her nose, she took a step forward, walking through the door. Instantly, her wardrobe was replaced with the striped prison suit. Chiyo stood behind the familiar barred and chained door with Henry standing off at the side. “Prisoner Chiyo Kusakabe has returned, sir!” announced Henry.

“Well done,” Igor said in approval. “It seems you have remembered my words… You truly make it worth rehabilitating you.”

“I still don’t understand what you mean by ‘rehabilitation,’” said Chiyo. “You say that, yet last time you wanted me to be a good thief. I’m sorry, but that sounds extremely contradictory.”

“I am not attempting to withhold information from you. The essence of the form of rehabilitation that you must complete will be explained in due time.”

Dejected, Chiyo rested her forehead against the bars. Wouldn’t it go better if she knew what Igor wanted of her right off the bat? This unorthodox rehabilitation only made her head swim.

“Once you encounter friends who share your aesthetics and discover your place in reality,” Igor continued, “only then, will I explain it all. However, such a day should not be far off.” Her curiosity peaked, Chiyo lifted her head. “This time, I wish to introduce you to the aid we are providing.”

“What sort of aid?” asked Chiyo.

“Due to your potential in wielding the power of the Wild Card, you can handle more than one Persona,” explained Igor. “That power holds infinite possibilities. We will assist you in nurturing that potential. To that end, we must execute your Persona.”

“Wha?!”

“Do not be alarmed,” Igor said with a bemused chuckle. “Personas are personalities that exist within you. Thus, you will only be discarding old personalities to have them be reborn as new ones.”

Chiyo couldn’t help the awkward smile that tugged on her lips. If that wasn’t a perfect way to describe what Chiyo was going through in recent weeks.

“By discarding your old identity, you give way to a new one. Hence, we call that process ‘execution.’ Think of it as the fusion of your Personas. Now then, let us try an actual Persona fusion. Do you remember how I mentioned forming bonds with confidants?” Chiyo nodded. “Personas are the power of the heart. The stronger those bonds the stronger your Personas will be.”

“And I will be helping you throughout the process,” said Henry. Grinning, he flicked his wrist, fanning out four cards.

Chiyo’s head list to the side in confusion. Upon closer inspection, Chiyo recognized the cards in Henry’s hand as tarot cards. Each card had something written at the bottom, _Le Mat, Le Bateleur, L’Amovrevx,_ and _L’Hermite_. There was a gleam in the first card of the pile, _Le Mat_ , and through that sheen, Chiyo could see the face of Arsene. She tilted her head to the right, seeing Pyro Jack, Pixie, and Bicorn in the other three cards.

As though some other force were leading her hand, Chiyo pointed at Pyro Jack and Bicorn. “Those two.”

Henry removed the two as instructed before he put away Pixie and Arsene. He tossed the two cards in the air, they took form long before they landed. As fluidly as a dancer, Henry grabbed a pair of rich blue drapes off the floor and threw them over the Personas. Chiyo leaped back when two blue guillotines appeared in front of Pyro Jack and Bicorn.

She was suddenly having second thoughts as Henry placed the squirming Personas in their respective slots. Calmly, unnervingly calmly, the boy tugged at a couple of ropes that undid the latch holding the guillotine blades in place. The blades fell with a vengeance, slicing through the Persona's necks. They burst into a blue and black substance that mixed together and took a new shape in front of Chiyo. The new being was a gold magatama with partially closed eyes and a small smile on its face. _“I am Saki Mitama,”_ it said calmly. _“Love and sympathy are all you need. I shall become your mask and guide you to intense passion…”_

A gentle blue glow surrounded Saki Mitama before it took the form of Joker’s mask and vanished.

“How impressive,” Igor said, watching Chiyo’s expressions the entire time. “A stronger Persona has been born from the body and blood of the old. It shall be your new strength.”

“I’m not fully sure if I get it,” Chiyo admitted.

“Then you’ll get it when you return to the battlefield,” explained Henry. “Learn a bit of patience, why don’t you?”

“Gather more Personas, and bring them here. Gather a great many, execute them, and continue to give birth to even stronger Personas. Developing your powers as such will play an integral role in the stand against ruin.

“Your heart is steadily gaining the strength of rebellion. It seems your rehabilitation is proceeding smoothly – a joyous fact, indeed… In anticipation of this, I have prepared a gift for you. I hope that you shall accept it.”

Chiyo’s eyes started to water, she dropped her head into her waiting palm in an attempt to soothe the pain. It was like she just finished an eye exam. “I accept, but… ow…”

“Is that a complaint, Maggot?” demanded Henry.

“I’m not a fan of the pain. What kind of a gift is it?”

“It is a thief’s skill,” explained Igor, “allowing one to tap into their sixth sense and see what is hidden in the dark. I believe you can handle it now. May you continue devoting yourself to further rehabilitation.”

“Hey, space cadet!”

Joker jumped when she felt Skull’s hand on her shoulder. He and Panther were on either side, staring at her, while Mona stood in front of her with a tilted head. “Something wrong?” he asked. “you were just standing around, staring into space.”

Jaw slightly slacked open, Joker’s gaze bounced amongst her teammates. Didn’t they see Henry or the door? On the one hand, it didn’t surprise her all that much, but it was still disheartening. The Velvet Room, the Palace. There had to be a reason for all of this, but there were no answers. Joker was not sure how well it sat with her. “Y-yeah,” she said. She gestured to the castle with her head. “C’mon, we’ve only got two weeks.”

###### 

**The Fool Rank 2**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finding a style of casual clothing for Chiyo was an interesting experience. Originally, Chiyo’s style was rather typical for my characters, and then I realized that I had a lot of female characters who preferred pants or shorts. Yes, I’ve had those who preferred skirts, but they were never the main character. Thus Chiyo became a skirt type of girl.
> 
> I did almost wonder if Ryou should have chosen Chiyo’s clothes before all this. But then I decided that if she went out and got a haircut and dye job of her own volition probably would have chosen her own clothes. Besides, there are other ways to show Ryou as a controlling parent.
> 
> Also, Haru cameo. As far as I can tell, there’s no indication of when Haru was first introduced to Sugimura. So my best guess is within a year of infiltrating Okumura’s palace. I’d imagine he’d want to make something official by Haru’s last year of high school so they can get married after graduation.
> 
> So, I’ve been working on MMD. And here’s the closet I’ve got to Chiyo as someone with elementary-level drawing skills.
> 
> I think it’ll take a little more time to come up with her look as Joker


	13. Chapter Twelve

**Chapter Twelve  
The Castle of Lust**

###### 

###### 

**_Monday, April 18th_**

###### 

They went through their usual entrance easily enough. However, when they left the library with the intention of heading to the foyer, they found the door was heavily locked. Far more complicated than the padlock Mona taught Joker with. Joker had already reached into her pocket for the hairpins when Mona instructed them to head to the safe room instead.

They made a b-line for the safe room they found in the West building beyond the guard’s dining hall. Though a guard stood outside the safe room, Joker jumped the guard and successfully yanked its mask off, revealing a pair of Pyro Jack’s. When Joker, Skull, and Mona got out their guns – well okay, a slingshot in Mona’s case – Panther followed suit. She felt a rush of exileration as she fired at the Shadows. “Oh my god!” Panther gushed as they entered the safe room. “Is that what Airsoft is like?”

“I don’t think so…” Joker put her Glock away. “I heard it hurts if you’re not properly protected.”

“So… like a regular gun then?”

Groaning Mona pulled himself onto the table in the center of the room and started pacing. “I wanted to just head straight upstairs from the foyer. I have a feeling the Treasure couldn’t be that far behind the doors there. But with the door locked like that-”

Joker injected, “I went through the effort of learning how to pick locks from you last night, and you didn’t even have me try to pick it?”

“If our picks weren’t just hairpins, yeah! We’d need a proper lock pick to get through that thing!”

“So we just keep explorin’ the castle,” said Skull. “I was under the impression we’d be doin’ that anyway.”

“Me too,” added Panther.

Sharing a look with Mona, Joker simply shrugged. “Guess we’re going to keep exploring, then.”

“That’s a pretty blasé attitude for someone under the threat of expulsion,” quipped Mona. His ears plastered against his skull while his tail drooped. “But I suppose we don’t have that many options.”

Before they took back off, it was decided that they would collect the money left over from fallen Shadows, then decide what to do with it after this was over. Until then, they would use it on supplies as needed.

The group traveled further down the hall until they came across a fine dining hall. Golden candelabra’s lit up the room, wooden kegs lined the back wall. Three large legs of meat hung over an open fire. Mona grabbed a set of the cutlery, saying they could try to sell it in the real world.

There was a Shadow guard standing watch at the end of the room. Going through the motions, Joker caught the guard by surprise, ripping it’s mask off. In the resulting battle, Mona proved to be a great asset as a healer with Zorro’s Dia ability. During a second round of battling, Joker gained a new mask in the form of a red devil called Incubus.

Beyond the dining room, they found a worn-down stairway that lead them to a fine hallway. Joker switched Personas when Mona suggested it, though he was surprised to find she had Saki Mitama amongst her numbers.

“Where’d that one even come from?” Skull asked after the group took out a couple of downtrodden women. He glanced down at Mona. “You haven’t seen it in the castle before, have you?”

Mona shook his head. “Not once.”

With an awkward grin, Joker shrugged uselessly as an answer. If there was a way to explain what was happening with the Velvet Room, without coming across as a loony, she would use it. But Joker wasn’t fully sure if she understood it herself. And she knew that as soon as she said _‘There’s this jail cell I visit in my sleep-’_ everyone would look at her like she was growing a second head.

Moving onto the end of the hallway, they found a large room. There was a table in the middle of the room, barred off on all sides, with no clear way to get in. “Looks like there’s somethin’ in here,” said Skull.

Morgana purred, rubbing his paws together as he spoke. There was a glint in his eye that signaled mischif. “If he’s protecting it this securely, it has to be important.”

Panther crossed her arms over her chest, scrutinizing the area. “I don’t see a way in though,” she said.

“Logic does dictate there is a way in otherwise…”

Joker drowned out Mona’s words as she eyed the carpet. The longer she stared down, the more she could make out something. Footprints began to stand out against the carpet. Joker turned her gaze to the door in which they entered and followed the prints to one of the pillars. A chain hung down from a brass Bicorn head, she almost reached up for it, until she realized the footprints kept going on past it.

Keeping her head down, and ignoring Panther calling out for her, Joker followed the tracks to the opposite end of the room. The prints lead her to another Bicorn-knocker. The longer Joker studied this knocker, the more she could see remnants of dribble coating the ring on the chain. Holding her breath, she grasped the chain in both hands and pulled. She could hear something crank to life, slowly, the bars blocking off the table were lifted up, inch by inch. A low rumble of the tumblrs coming to a stop was heard. “Whoa, nice work there, Joker!” Panther said while she applauded. “How’d you know that would happen, anyway?”

“Sixth sense?” Joker offered teasingly.

_‘Or third eye…’_ she thought.

There was a map on the table, much to Mona’s delight. Though he did notice that the map wasn’t quite complete, it didn’t give them an inkling where the treasure could be hidden. At best it showed them a couple of floors, but Mona was optimistic about it.

The map showed them the way to the castle foyer. High on the banisters to the west of the foyer. “Looks like we have to get across,” Panther said, checking the map. “So do we just… climb down, cross the room, and climb back up?”

“We might end up getting caught if we do that,” said Mona.

Skull turned his gaze skyward. “We should just go overhead,” he said pointing at the chandeliers. “There’s enough for us to climb up and jump to the other side.”

“Seriously?!” Panther asked wearily.

“Do you have a better idea?”

“I think I know how we can climb up,” Joker said, pointing at a bookshelf by the wall. It was short enough for them to climb onto easily and make their way to the banisters. Leading the way, Joker did just that. At the banisters, she effortlessly walked across and leapt onto the flat, grated surface of the nearest chandler. Once safely across, Joker waved the others over. 

Panther was the one who struggled the most in keeping her balance. She held her arms out on either side, walked across the banister at a snail's pace, and kept looking down at her feet. Skull remained close behind her in case she went over. “Try to keep your head center, and stop looking down,” Skull instructed calmly.

“How do I do that?!” Panther warbled, struggling to keep her gaze forward.

“Just make sure your head isn’t leaning forward.”

“L-Like...” 

“Like this.” Reaching forward, Skull let his hands hover under Panther’s chin and guided her head back up. “Now, pick something straight ahead and don’t look away from it.”

She chose the rope holding up the chandler. Her breath was still shaking as Skull retracted his hands. Willing herself to ignore everything but the rope, Panther walked on. There was still a tremble in her legs, but her arms weren’t moving so wildly, and she was keeping a steady pace. 

After they each successfully crossed to the other side of rafters, they found a new safe room and took a moment to collect themselves. Mona instructed everyone to take a bit of the Recov-R and spare a few moments to replenish their strength.

As they continued on, to Joker’s relief, she was finally able to use her newly acquired lock picking abilities to open a locked door and a few chests containing items Mona thought they could sell. Such as a piece of onyx and a pearl. And her collections of Persona increased with Silky, Kelpie, Berith, and Succubus.

Upon finding a small study Joker noticed a book with her Third Eye ability. The title, ‘Slave Book’ left her skin crawling. But the fact that her new ability picked up on it was a flashing red sign for her to carry it with her. So she slipped it into her pocket with the treasures they collected.

Soon after the group came upon a golden barred door with a black Bicorn head with a chain hanging from it. “Isn’t this like that thing from earlier?” Skull asked, pointing at the bars. “We just gotta pull that chain an-”

“I don’t think it’s that easy,” Joker said, pointing at the indent on the gold plating under the Bicorn head.

“Looks like we won’t be moving on until we fill that,” Mona said through a sigh.

“Crap,” Panther sighed. She brought a hand to the side of her head, her fingers intertwined with her bangs. “It’s a puzzle in a video game that involves a lot of backtracking. I hate those.”

“Lemme see the map,” Joker offered her hand to Panther. She handed their leader the map, allowing Joker to study it for a bit. “We may not need to backtrack, there’s a library around the corner. There might be something in there.”

They found their way to the library, despite its size, and the number of books on the shelves. There was a scent of old books in the air mixed with something Joker didn’t have a name for, but still made her skin crawl. “For some reason, this surprises me,” Panther admitted as the group walked into the library. “After all that perverse shit from earlier.”

“I know, right?” Joker agreed.

“Let’s see,” Skull said, planting himself in front of one of the bookshelves. He started reading off the spines, “’The History of Kamoshida,’ ‘Tracing Kamoshida’s Steps,’ Kamoshida’s Heroisms,’ ‘Kamoshida’s Law.’ The fuck?!”

“There’s more over here,” Panther called from another section. “The titles don’t have any rhyme or reason to them.”

Skull and Joker hurried to Panther’s side. Each spine had a name that could have belonged to a person. But there was nothing else printed on the spine. Abruptly, Panther let out a sharp intake of breath and backed away from the shelf. Her left hand was balled up infront of her chest, while the other pointed at one of the books. “This book… It has Shiho’s name in the title,” Her voice shook as she pointed to another book with ‘Yuki Noya’ printed on the spine. “A-And I recognize some of these names from the girls on the volleyball team!”

“Fucking hell…” Joker breathed out, her eyes scanned the shelves. How many of these girls were just objects Kamoshida gawked at? How many were faced with the same fate as Suzui until she jumped?

Her head list to the left when her gaze fell upon the title ‘The King Book.’ Her brow arched beneath her mask as she reached and pulled it off the shelf. “Fuck,” Skull breathed out. ‘Ann Takamaki: The Charming Doll.’ And ‘Chiyo Kusakabe: The Dancing Enigma.’ Holy shit…”

“I’m not trying to change the subject for the sake of changing the subject,” Joker said, turning the book in her hand. “But this here clearly doesn’t belong on the shelf.”

“Didn’t you find another book earlier, Joker?” Mona asked from the desk.

Wordlessly, Joker pulled out ‘The Slave’s Book’ from her pocket. She looked back at the books about Kamoshida and noticed there was an empty space amongst the tomes. Joker walked up to the shelf about Kamoshida and slid ‘The King Book’ into the empty space. An audible click was heard. “Looks like we need to put the books in their proper place,” said Joker. She looked down at the book in her hand. “But this one doesn’t fit in with the shelf I got ‘The King Book’ from. We’ve only seen male players as slaves.”

Skull crossed the room to another bookshelf. He ran one hand over the spines, reading the titles printed on them. After a few moments of silence, Skull spoke up, “These over here have the names of the volleyball team members. And you’re right, all boys. So, ‘The Slave Book’ goes over here, right?”

“It should.” Joker walked up to the shelf and scanned the titles. “We just need to find the book that doesn’t belong-”

Joker winced when she came across ‘Ryuji Sakamoto: The Vulgar Ape.’ A sick sense of curiosity made Joker wonder just what was inside these books, Kamoshida’s specific thoughts, and opinions about his students? “Ah, ‘The Queen Book,’” Skull said, pulling one of the tomes from the shelf. “This definitely doesn’t belong here.”

“Then we just need to replace ‘The Queen Book’ with ‘The Slave Book’ and vice versa.”

Skull crossed the room and put his book in its place, while Joker did the same with hers. After each book clicked one of the shelves started to move back, then glided to the side, revealing a secret chamber.

On the wall opposite the entrance was St. Andrew’s cross in front of a portrait of Kamoshida surrounded by a semi-circle of candles. Once again, the portrait had the artistic aesthetic of a trashy novel. Around the portrait, photos were pinned on the wall, taken at different angles, some focusing on a girl’s breasts, her ass, her legs. There were a few pictures of the girl’s face, revealing a black-haired girl with her hair done in a high ponytail.

The group stood at the room’s entrance, staring inside with wide eyes and pale faces. “The hell is this room?” Skull breathed out. “These pics…?”

Panther took a step back; Joker looked over her shoulder at her companion. “I can look inside alone, see if there's anything of use in here,” offered Joker.

Swallowing, Panther shook her head. “No, it’s fine,” she said, stealing her voice. “If anything, I feel even more motivated to do this now…”

The humans amongst the group searched the room for something. Anything. There had to be a reason it was hidden behind an elaborate mechanism. But there were just more books, wooden kegs, the St. Andrew’s cross, more pictures of Suzui…

What was Kamoshida hiding here? It couldn’t just be these pictures. Not after those books and cognitive versions of the female volleyball players. “Hey,” Panther called, “I think I found something.” She held a gold medal in her hand. “It’s about the same size as that indent, right?”

“Only one way to find out,” said Joker.

“There’s somethin’ else here, too,” Skull said, taking a large sheet of faded yellow paper into his hand. “Looks like another map.”

Skull flattened the map across the table, allowing the group as a whole to study it. “Nice find,” Mona said, his tail swaying happily.

“So, this one’ll tell us where the Treasure is?” asked Skull.

“Yeah, look.” Mona pointed at a room beyond an elongated ‘U’ shape. “It has to be here.”

“That’s an odd shape,” Panther said thoughtfully. “Is it a tower or something?”

“I dunno,” Joker said with a list of the head. “I don’t know of a medieval tower in that shape. But…. Eh…”

“Considering our current position…” Mona paused scrutinizing the map once more. “I’d say we’re about halfway there.”

“For real?” asked Skull. “Then what’re we waiting for? Let’s hurry over there!”

“If everyone’s up for it,” said Joker.

“Now that we have this map,” said Mona. “I’d say we could afford to pace ourselves if we need to. We still have some time.”

###### 

The medal Panther found fit the indent perfectly, the Bicorn head lowered itself down, allowing them to tug at the chain, opening the door, revealing a hallway. Down the hall, they found a new safe room and checked the map once more before they moved on.

It was not long before they found themselves in a chapel. Potted roses decorated overhead, candles lit the room. And an effigy of the Shadow Kamoshida’s likeness stood at the head of the chapel. It was placed perfectly in front of a rose window, giving it a near heavenly glow. “This place is huge,” said Mona, “yet there are no guards? That seems suspicious…”

“Accordin’ to the map, the Treasure’s up ahead, right?” asked Skull. “We don’t got a choice but to keep goin’.”

Entering the chapel, the four experienced a wave of dizziness. The image of the chapel flickered between the scene they entered and the school gym. “Ah…” Panther moaned, gripping her head. “Wasn’t… wasn’t that the gym?”

Skull shook his head in an attempt to rid himself of his dizziness. “I get it,” he exhaled. “The gym’s some kind of holy place for him. He’s a god there.”

“Make’s sense,” Joker said as they headed down the aisle. “He has little to no power in other classrooms, so they become safe rooms. Of course, the gym would be something grand.”

“I can’t believe he could think like that,” Panther said as they stopped several meters in front of the effigy. “Especially after what he did to Shiho.”

“I see…” said a new, somewhat mechanical voice said. “So you’re the ones who tampered with the library. It seems my time waiting here has paid off!”

A Guard Captain appeared rising out from the floor boards like a mythic beast out of the water. “Just as that ape there said,” the Captain said, pointing his sword at Skull, “this place is holy ground for our great King Kamoshida. It is preposterous for miscreants like yourself to come waltzing in like this!”

The Captain’s body started to convulse before it morphed into a medieval knight dawning a pair of red feathery wings. “You will pay for foolishly defying King Kamoshida… with your lives!”

The knight brought its blade down. The group leaped back; Panther fell back into one of the pews. Skull fell in between them, while Joker stood up on one of the seats of the pews and Mona stood on the back of one of the pews. “I knew this would happen!” Mona cursed, removing a slingshot from his utility pocket. “But between Joker and Skull, we should be okay. Alright, let’s take it down!”

Panther, while still struggling to get out of her pew, pulled out her whip and cracked it. The tip hit the knight on its sword arm, causing it to drop his blade. “All right!” cheered Mona. He pulled back on the band of his slingshot. “Nice work, Panther!”

Mona released three pelts in rapid session, hitting the knight in its chainmail. The knight drew in its arms and legs, its wings flapped now and then to keep it a float. “Shit, it’s doin’ something!” shouted Skull.

“Everyone duck!” Joker shouted before dropping herself down between pews.

Panther rolled to the side, falling between pews as Mona mimicked Joker. The knight extended himself, releasing a burst of energy. The room shook momentarily, but everyone remained relatively unharmed. Joker was the first to poke herself out from the pews. She had her gun drawn, and fired three rounds at the knight. The knight finished but remained unfazed by the would-be bullets. “Here we go!” Skull shouted, on his knees, one arm wrapped around the back of the pew in front of him.

He removed his mask, summoning Captain Kidd. The pirate captain aimed his cannon arm at the knight, the action caused a Zio to strike the knight from above. The knight lunged towards Skull, who pulled himself up onto the seat of the pew and threw himself three pews over before the knight could strike.

“Arsene!” Joker shouted, removing her mask. “Ravage them!”

Arsene extended its wings, casting an Eiha. The knight drooped, yelling out the Persona’s name, Mona called out for Zorro, ordering it to perform a Garu attack. Panther cracked her whip, striking the knight again.

At long last, the knight flinched. It hovered momentarily before it broke apart, vanishing, and leaving behind coins and paper notes. “Jeez,” Skull breathed out, leaning against one of the pews. “Didn’t realize those things could be that tough…”

“Yeah,” Mona likewise panted. “It looks like Kamoshida’s making a concerted effort to stop us now…”

“That’s gotta mean we’re close, right?” asked Panther. “Lemme see the map.”

Joker handed her the map, allowing Panther to study it for a few moments. “Yeah, it should be up ahead,” she said. “But I don’t see any way to get there from here.”

“Then there’s something we’re missing,” concluded Mona. “We ought to look around a little more.”

“I hate backtracking!” groaned Panther

###### 

The group searched for anything useful outside the chapel territories, with no luck. They found their way down one hall, which lead to a spiraling staircase. A spiraling staircase that looked like an ogre dropped its hammer down upon it several times, demolishing several meters of stairs. “Uh… I don’t think we’re goin’ any further this way…” Skull pointed out.

“Should we check somewhere else?” Panther took a moment to look back at the door they came in from. “Emm… I’d hate to backtrack more though…”

“Wait!” Mona pointed his paw up. “Look there!”

Following Mona’s gaze, the group found a Bicorn bust hanging out from the parapet a few feet off the ground. Though it was difficult to tell from the floor, the staircase from there on looked untouched. “What about it?” Skull cocked his head to the side. “Are we throwin’ a rope over that and climbin’ up?”

There was a mischievous glint in Mona’s eyes as he crossed his stubby arms over his chest. “Phantom thieves do things a bit more stylishly than that,” he said, swaying his tail. “And I know just what’ll do the trick.”

With a grin that met his eyes, Mona pulled three cuffs out from his utility belt. They were black, meant to be attached to the wrist, with a button by one of the edges. Mona tossed one of the cuffs to Joker, she turned it over in her hands a few times as the cat-creature continued to pass the cuffs out to Skull and Panther.

Joker slipped the cuff onto her wrist, with the wire and button on the inside. Both Skull and Joker were able to conceal their cuffs with the sleeves of their jackets, but Panther’s cuff stood out against her red suit and pink gloves. “Good.” Mona sounded pleased with himself. “Seems like they fit properly.”

“What are they?” asked Joker.

“Just a little something I’ve been working on on the side. Those grappling hooks should let you zip to hard-to-reach locations in a flash.”

“Grappling… hooks?” Panther echoed. “These look like wires.”

“Semantics.”

“Uh…” Skull looked from his cuff to the Bicorn bust. “So uh… who’s goin’ first.”

“Joker and I will.” Without warning, Mona climbed up Joker’s coat and seated himself on her shoulder. “I should be the one to see if my gadget works, after all.”

“Then why didn’t you-” Joker shook her head. “Forget it. I just aim and shoot?”

“Just aim and shoot.”

The issue was, Joker wasn’t quite sure how she was supposed to aim. When she was fairly certain she had it right, she used her opposite hand to press the button. The line shot out of the cuff, lassoing around the horns of the bust. Mona clung to Joker as she was suddenly pulled off her feet.

She couldn’t help the gasp that escaped her throat as the floor disappeared from under her. Nor the rush of panic as the bust came hurtling towards her (or rather, _she_ came hurtling towards _it_ ). As she drew closer and closer, Joker held her free hand out and reached for the railing. She brought her feet up on either side of the bust and pushed. Joker guided her hips back into an arch until she flipped over, safely on the other side of the banister.

“Wow,” Panther said, awestruck, “guess you really can do anything in this world if you think you can hard enough…”

“Worked like a charm,” Mona said, hopping onto the edge of the banister. He waved the other two up. “Come on, we still have a bit of castle left to cover.”

Panther followed after Joker, unable to contain her scream as the grappling hook pulled her towards the demon-horse bust. She wrapped one arm around the neck of the bust, and reached her other hand up for the banister. Joker reached down, grasping Panther’s arm as she carefully uncoiled her arm around the bust. She grabbed onto the banister rail and pulled herself up with Joker’s help. Skull followed suit when he was sure Panther was on the other side. Together the girls helped him over the banister.

The group hurried up the spiraling stairway until they came to the head of the stairs where they were met with a large set of double doors. Skull stopped in place, looking across the hall. He motioned for Panther and Joker to check it out. There was another banister directly across the room, but no obvious way to get there. There was a door with withering vines grown over it. “There’s something fishy over there,” murmured Skull.

“Yeah,” agreed Mona. “By the looks of it, no one’s been there for a long time.”

“I wonder what’s over there…” mused Panther. “Should we take a closer look?”

“I think there’s something we can use the grappling hook on,” said Joker. He pointed at another Bicorn bust overhead.

Mona grabbed onto Joker’s shoulder again, before she climbed onto the banister. She aimed the grappling hook, the end attaching itself to the Bicorn bust. A bit more prepared for the grappling hook’s effects, Joker channeled her weight allowing herself to swing towards the door instead of being pulled towards the bust.

As Skull and Panther followed suit, Mona slid down Joker’s back. She and skull started to pull the brittle vines off the door, allowing them to open it. The room was largely empty, and rather plain. Joker could have sworn there was something whispering in her ear, but she couldn’t make out what they were saying. The effect still made her skin crawl and her blood run cold.

Panther shuttered slightly, the hair on the back of her neck standing up on end. “This room feels different from everywhere else we’ve been so far,” she said.

“Yeah,” agreed Skull, “and there’s something super-suspicious over there…”

“That’s…” Mona’s voice trailed off.

In the back of the room, in the center of the floor, a plant pulsing red had grown erect. There was something amongst the greenery. To Joker, it looked more like a potato. Mona ran up to the plant, beckoning the others to follow him. Upon approaching it, Joker could see the potato looked like someone had hollowed it out into a skull and put a red light bulb inside it.

“Just as I thought!” Mona declared, practically bouncing on his back paws. “It’s a Will Seed!”

“What’s a Will Seed?” asked Joker.

“Palaces are locations that grew distorted from their original forms due to their rulers’ cognition. When such distortions coalesce into form, this is the result.” Mona gestured to the plant. “I call it a Will Seed.”

“Distortions… coalesce… into Will Seeds…” Skull mulled over this information.

“Should I try explaining that again?”

Instead, Skull just shook his head. “Just forget it!” He gestured to the plant. “That’s a Will Seed. Movin’ on.”

“So, what do we do with it?” asked Panther.

“We take it,” Mona said plainly. “It may not be as prized as a Treasure, but it’s still quite the rare find. Making it ours will only do us good… I think.”

Panther’s head list to the side nervously. “Is it really okay to just take it?”

“If it helps us, I say we take it.” Joker shrugged.

“Nothin’ shitty better happen when you take it,” said Skull. “Like some trap goin’ off, or we all end up cursed.”

“Wait, why am I the one taking it?”

“Because you’re closest,” piped Panther.

Instantly, Joker half-turned to find neither Skull, Panther, nor Mona standing at her side. She whirled around to find the trio by the door. “Hey!”

“We’re right behind you!”

“Yeah, _behind_ ,” snarked Joker.

Exhaling, she approached the plant. She could see a thin bit of green growing out from the head of the Seed. Pursing her lips, Joker placed her hand under the Will Seed and gently yanked. It was about the size of a potato, but it had a consistency that reminded her of ginger.

“So, I guess… nothing’s happened?” Skull noted as Joker pocketed the Will Seed.

“There are more of these around the Palace somewhere,” Mona said, swaying happily. “As far as I can tell, there should be two more left.”

“Huh? How can you tell? You smell ‘em or somethin’?”

“Yeah, like how dogs can,” Panther began before she cut herself off. “Oh, but you’re a cat…”

“Not a cat!” snapped Mona.

“Well,” Joker breathed out. “If there’s nothing else here, we should get moving.”

“Yeah.” Skull stretched his arms up. “I don’t think we have much farther to go.”

As the teens walked off, Mona fell behind, glaring at the floor. “I just seem like a cat,” he grumbled.

After the group swung their way back to the head of the stairs, they headed beyond the double doors. “Hey,” Skull said, pointing to the tower, “take a look at that!”

“That matches up with the map,” said Mona. “So it looks like that’s where we’re headed for.”

“Sweet!” Panther pumped a fist. “So we’re almost there!”

“Yeah, but we’re not fully out of the woods, yet,” Joker muttered, pointing at a particularly large guard in front of the only door in sight.

“Guess it would make sense that security’s ramped up here,” said Mona. “We’ll have to sneak around them.”

“You mean, on the roof?” squeaked Panther.

“Can you see any other way?” asked Joker.

Despite Panther’s initial protest, she did not say much as Joker lead the way up. They jumped onto a rooftop, leaped from parapet to parapet until they found an open window. After going through it, Mona sensed another Will Seed and lead the way, through a vent and outside the castle. The second Will Seed looked identical to its fellow, but with a green orb in its mouth.

Traveling back to the window they entered they followed a hall littered with porcelain figures in feminine shapes jutting their breasts out to the world. The hall lead them to an elevator that had similar décor as the hall, only with butts involved. When all four of them were on board, Joker pulled the lever, which brought them straight down.

Straight ahead was a hall, with a giant portrait of Kamoshida at the end. When the group approached it, Joker tilted her head to the side. Why did every portrait in this castle look like it came straight out of a trashy manga?

“I don’t get it, why would this…” Panther gestured at the portrait with her hand, “be at a dead end?”

Joker’s eyes furrowed from behind her mask, the longer she stared at the painting, the more she began to see blue. The last time that happened was when Joker spotted footprints on the floor invisible to the naked eye. Licking her lips, Joker approached the painting. Then dug her fingers under the frame and tugged at it. The portrait swung open, revealing a large wooden door on the other side of a small corridor. Joker climbed into the corridor, vaguely aware of the others watching her, and pushed the door open.

The first thing she saw was a black and white tiled floor and a hanging chandelier. “Hey, this looks familiar,” Skull said, climbing in after Joker.

“It’s the entrance hall!” snapped Mona. “Have you already forgotten?!”

“I didn’t realize we would end up here,” murmured Panther.

“I don’t get how we ended up here,” Joker said fiddling with a lock of hair.

“Hey, on the bright side, those soldiers are gone,” said Skull. “And we have a shortcut to the treasure now.”

“Not a bad observation there, Skull,” Mona said as Joker pulled the foyer portrait closed. “Guess a broken clock is right two times a day.”

Skull let out a scowl before he rolled his eyes. The group backtracked to the elevator and moved the lever further down. They were brought to a small prison, with cages hanging in front of a roaring waterfall. Mona instantly hopped off the elevator and lead the group to a set of doors with vines growing over it.

The Will Seed this time was blue; as Joker dropped it into her pocket the seeds began to glow. She took them into her hands, just as they started vibrating. In a flash of red, green, and blue the Will Seeds seemed to have merged. The backs of their heads melding together. The Seeds had taken on a more metal feel over the previous ginger-like consistency. A single, crystal blue orb could be seen at the center of the skulls between the eye and mouth holes.

“Whoa!” Skull gasped taking a step back. “What the hell was that?! It got all… I don’t even know how to describe it…” Shaking his head, he glanced back down at Mona. “C’mon, Mona! You never told us what these Will Seeds’ll do!”

“Hey! I never expected tha-” Mona paused, realizing what he was about to say. “I mean, I never expected _anything less_ than that to happen!”

“Nice save,” snarked Joker.

The cat-creature chuckled weakly. “What really matters is the power I’m sensing from it. Maybe it could give us an upper hand somehow in the future?”

“Wait.” Panther held her hands up. “So we’re just… taking it? I’m not totally sure that’s a great idea…”

“A phantom thief makes use of any available tool to accomplish a mission. Who knows what we’ll find next? If we find ourselves in a situation where this could be useful, let’s see what it can do!”

“So you really don’t know what it does, do you?” asked Joker.

“We could stand around arguing semantics, or we could continue on looking for the Treasure,” Mona said, heading back to the elevator.

They went back all the way up, where they found another door. On the other side tiles of the floor were either rising or falling. A guard made its rounds in the middle of the room, missing the theives as they hid behind the corner. Joker brought a finger to her lips, silencing everyone before she broke out into a cartwheel. She wheeled herself around twice before she maneuvered herself into a full flip. Joker flipped twice before she landed on the Shadow’s shoulders. She dug her fingers under the guard’s mask and successfully tore it off. As the Shadow convulsed Joker backflipped back to the group, who were each gearing for the upcoming fight.

The guard took the shape of a couple of Succubi. “Now’s our chance to strike!” Mona shouted, readying his slingshot. Three pelts fire at the Succubus closest to him. In unison, two separate bangs of a gunshot could be heard at Joker’s right, Skull and Panther had gotten their gun’s out and were shooting at the Succubus closest to them, not allowing it to counter-attack.

Joker could still hear the shots echoing across the room after the Succubi were gone, it sent a chill down her spine. The ringing only settled down when the group found a safe room. Mona made a brief survey amongst the group, asking if anyone needed any meds, or if they wanted to push forward. Despite the bouts of fatigue amongst them, they just knew they were so close to the Treasure. If they could just push on a little further, just a little longer…

Leaving the safe room, unanimously agreed upon to push on a little more, they found a flight of stairs decorated with red carpeting. They traveled up for several moments until they came across even ground. Their only path was straight through a hall with giant blades swinging like pendulums.

There was, however, a large bust of Kamoshida outside of the hall. By simply pulling the mouth down they were able to stop the pendulums, allowing them to cross over safely. Another flight of stairs later, they were lead to a distorted hall with a guard captain guarding the flight of stairs. 

“This majestic tower penetrating the sky represents the admirable King Kamoshida’s most sacred place,” the guard said upon spotting the group. “It is no place for children like yourselves! Prepare for your punishment!”

“What kind of selfish reasoning is that?!” Panther snapped, using her hands to talk with her. “The only one who needs to be punished is-”

The guard reshaped before Panther could finish. She shrieked at the sight of the Shadow; a sickly blue-green blob with a gaping maw and a head that would give Sigmund Freud a field day. A chill ran down Joker’s spine, she couldn’t shake the feeling that it was eyeing her and Panther.

With that nagging at the back of her head, Joker had Arsene send out an Eiha, which only did little damage. None of their Persona’s abilities did much damage against the Shadow. Not helped by the fact that it clearly had it out for Joker and Panther. Mona became the designated healer while the remaining three bombarded the Shadow with physical attacks.

“So…” Skull dragged out the word as the Shadow disappeared. He was a little flushed under his mask, and he rubbed the back of his neck, avoiding eyecontact with the girls. “Was I seein’ things or did that thing look like a-”

“Skull, I assure you, we all saw it,” Joker said dully, “and I’m pretty sure we can’t unsee it.”

Panther’s shoulders shook. She was pretty sure she found her nightmares for the next few weeks.

The flight of stairs lead the group to yet another hall. However, there was a large set of double doors. It was locked, however, and deemed by Mona to be too advanced for Joker. He did find them a way onto the balcony by using the odd bust of a headless woman showing off her bust and ass to climb up.

From the balcony, they found Kamoshida, seated on a rather plain and dinky looking throne, despite the rose petals that littered the floor and more perverse architecture. The throne was placed directly in front of a flight of carpeted stairs that lead to a set of double doors. Soldier’s littered the room, their common looks did not bring the four any comfort due to the numbers.

“How have you not captured the intruders yet?!” barked the Shadow Kamoshida.

“I apologize, my liege!” shouted one of the soldiers.

Joker hummed briefly. “Looks like the high and mighty king is getting scared.”

“I bet he’d never imagine we’d be in the same room as him,” quipped Mona cheekily.

The balcony, thankfully, lead to the doors. Opening them the four found themselves in a small hallway that lead to another set of double doors. Wooden and sturdy; there was definitely something hiding behind it.

Beyond the doors, they were instantly met with piles of gold coins, golden items and colored jewels. Large gold chalices were filled with coins, overflowing with them. Open barrels overflowed with coins and precious jewels, there was so much it was a blessing the sun didn’t shine in this world. The group would undoubtedly be blinded by the light alone. “Holy shit, man!” Skull said excitedly. “That Treasure thing’s gotta be in here, right?!”

They scanned the room, taking in the sheer number of it all. “Hey, what’s that thing?” Panther asked, gesturing to something in the center of the room.

Something floated, with no distinct shape, but still had a gentle glow to it. Grinning in a way that would make the Cheshire Cat jealous, Mona climbed onto an oversized chalice to look the others in the eye. “That’s the Treasure,” he announced. “We finally found it!”

“This thing?” Joker questioned, pointing at the cloud.

“Just hold on a second. I was planning on telling you more once we made it this far. Simply finding the Treasure isn’t enough. We’ll need to make it materialize before we can steal it.”

Skull leaned against the giant chalice. “Whaddya mean?”

“Desires have no physical form by nature,” explained Mona. “Hence, we’ll first need to make the real person aware that their desires are in fact a Treasure. Once they’re conscious that their desires might be stolen, the Treasure will finally show itself.”

“And how do we do that?” asked Panther.

“We warn them. Tell them, ‘We’re going to steal your heart.’”

“So we’re gonna send a calling card?!” Skull exclaimed, his tone a mixture of disbelief and euphoria. “That’s totally what a phantom thief would do!”

“Once we do that, the Treasure will appear for certain! …I think.”

“Meaning you don’t know for certain,” Joker said with a sigh. “Of course.”

“Either way, sounds like it’s worth givin’ it a shot,” said Skull.

“You are just loving this, aren’t you?”

“Our infiltration route is secure,” announced Mona. “All that’s left now is to pump out a calling card in reality, then come back to take the Treasure!”

“So, this is it, then?” Panther clasped her hands behind her back.

“Looks like it.” Joker looked up at the Treasure. “Let’s do this!”

Mona nodded approvingly, “That’s the spirit! Once we send out the calling card, there will be no turning back. Let’s rest up and be sure we’re ready before we send out the calling card.”

###### 

It was a struggle for Chiyo to keep herself from collapsing onto the floor like a puppet with its strings cut. Her legs and feet were begging for a release, her stomach wouldn’t stop growling and her throat was parched.

Somehow, Chiyo forced herself into a convenience store, bought herself and Morgana sushi to split, and a bottle of white peach flavored water. The peach water was more or less a treat for herself; it was her favorite flavor of water and it had been weeks since Chiyo had some. So she drank it greedily.

“I’m exhausted,” Morgana moaned as Chiyo stood outside of Leblanc.

“You’re exhausted?” Chiyo challenged. “I’m the one carrying you home.”

Chiyo shuffled into the café, knocking her glasses askew when she reached to rub her eye. “School kicking your butt or something?” Sojiro asked as Chiyo put her glasses back into place.

“Something like that,” Chiyo murmured, walking past him.

Upstairs Chiyo and Morgana silently dined on convenience store sushi. When done, Chiyo wrote a new entry in her diary. More embellishes and half-truths; she went to school and hung out with friends. It wasn’t necessarily a lie, that’s technically what happened.

When she finished, Sojiro had closed up the shop, so Chiyo headed downstairs to the bathroom to change. Returning, Morgana had already dozed off. Chiyo followed suit after she plugged her phone into its charger and placed her glasses in their case. She was out shortly after her head hit the pillow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oof. I can tell writing for Palaces are going to be trial and error.
> 
> Royal’s inclusion of the grappling hook ended up being unintentionally funny with the other Phantom Thieves just randomly teleporting to Akiren’s side. Were we supposed to assume the others had one too or that Akiren was just swinging back and forth to bring everyone with him? Well, I went with the former.


	14. Chapter Thirteen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guess I’m posting two chapter’s this week. It’s a stress relief (yet I’m posting one of the more heavier chapters…).
> 
> **TRIGGER WARNING: Sexual harassment, and depictions of self-harm**

**Chapter Thirteen  
First Burn**

###### 

**_Tuesday, April 19th_ **

###### 

It felt like she had just put her head on the pillow when her phone started to buzz, waking her for the day. Chiyo debated buying a coffee to go from Sojiro, but her funds were beginning to run low. She ended up buying a cheap soda from a vending machine to get her caffeine fix.

Biology with Hiruta just seemed to drag on all morning. If his goal was trying to keep things calm after Friday’s events he was unsuccessful. Talks about how Suzui’s eyes were devoid of life, how she looked upon a sad, hopeless world. Chiyo tried to drown it out, she was just beginning to get out of her dark place herself. She didn’t need a teacher bringing up that sort of thing. Thank goodness Suzui wasn’t able to hear this, that sort of talk was sure to do absolute wonders for her mental recovery.

Though his lecture soon turned into one about optical illusions.

Come the end of the day, Chiyo had just barely shouldered her bag, and Morgana, when her phone started to vibrate.

| Hey, where are you right now?  
---|---  
| I’m still in the classroom. Why?  
| I’m still at school too. I’m by the staircase outside your classroom.  
| I thought of somethin’ when we were running around the Palace.  
| Maybe it’s cause I haven’t been moving around as much lately, but I feel like I’m getting weak.  
| We’re prolly gonna run into some pretty tough Shadows after sending the calling card. We should try to get stronger too.  
|  It’s sunny outside. Perfect for training! So, you wanna get your blood pumpin’?  
  
Chiyo pursed her lips in thought. Ryuji certainly made a few valid points, and Chiyo herself could easily falter after a couple of months without training. And it was not as though she had anything else to do after school.

|  Sure.  
---|---  
| Let’s do some quick warm-ups behind the gym then.  
| Oh. Be sure to change into your gym clothes first.  
  
Initially, Chiyo wasn’t sure what Ryuji had in mind for training. No doubt the two of them had different thoughts when they heard the word. For Chiyo, training involved flips and folds, pivots and cartwheels, clubs, and ribbons. But it wasn’t as though it would hurt to delve into other athletic endeavors.

Outside, behind the gym Ryuji lead Chiyo through the warm-ups he did when he on the track team. “Man,” he breathed out as he stretched out his arms and back. “This place brings back memories… This is my secret trainin’ spot. Eh… was. Back when I was on the track team.”

“Oh,” Chiyo breathed out. She hated that she could only come up with ‘oh.’

“Actually, I’ve been ahead about tryin’ to run again.”

“Wait, really? That’s great!”

“Yeah… I guess.” Ryuji rotated his shoulder. “Fightin’ in that other world was a total shock. I couldn’t move like I used to. I just felt… lame.”

_‘’Lame’ as in ‘can’t walk,’ or ‘lame’ like ‘sucks?’’_ Chiyo wondered though she ultimately decided not to say anything.

“So I started thinkin’, maybe I need to build up my muscles again. Anything’s gotta be better than this flimsy body, right? Plus, maybe then I’ll be able to help out a little more.”

“You seem pretty excited,” noted Chiyo.

“I’m totally gonna wreck your expectations!” His eyes contracted at his choice of words. “U-uh, I mean that in a good way! All right, I’m gonna do some knee lift sprints. You’re stuck with the normal ones!”

“Knee lift sprints?” echoed Chiyo.

They ran around the school parameters once. Chiyo could feel her heart pounding after the first few minutes. She knew beforehand from PE back home, but she was once again reminded that that gymnastics and running were two different things. She never really worked her legs like this. They were dancer’s legs, not runners

But Chiyo kept any complaints she had to herself. Not only was this something Ryuji was getting excited about this, but it also wouldn’t be such a bad thing for her to gain a bit of stamina, especially after several weeks without any sort of exercise.

Finishing their lap, Chiyo placed her hands on her hips and tilted her upper body back as she panted. Ryuji was bent over double, catching his breath. “Damn,” he said between breaths, “my legs’re all tight…”

_‘Water…’_ Chiyo thought, wide-eyed. _‘Ew is there sweat on my lenses?!’_

After a few minutes, the pair were able to catch their breath. Straightening herself, Chiyo removed her glasses and tried to clean the lenses. “Before Kamoshida came along,” Ryuji said, standing upright, “the track team was the biggest thing this school had goin’ for it.”

Curious, Chiyo placed her glasses back on and listened respectfully.

“But all that changed after he got our coach fired and took over as sub,” continued Ryuji. He raked a hand through his hair. “That bastard… Right from the very start, he was tryin’ to get rid of us. He’d give us crazy workouts, then when we couldn’t do ‘em, he’d add even more on top of that… Day after day was nothing but that bullshit…

“He was goin’ after me especially. He knew… He knew I was the kinda guy who’d fight back. If my time dropped even a little, he’d cuss me out. Then on top of that, he brought up my parents…”

Chiyo couldn’t help but bite her lower lip. Her parents divorced when she was eight after a couple of years of semi-regular fights and eight years of resentfulness and ice. So she knew all about sensitive family topics. “And then you punched him,” she said out loud.

“Yeah,” Ryuji breathed out with a nod. “Truth is, my mom’s the only one I got. All my dad did when he was still around was drink. Sometimes he’d even beat me… or my mom. I dunno how that bastard found out, but Kamoshida told the whole goddamn team… And as you can guess, I lost it and hit him.”

She brought a fist to her mouth, her lips moving slightly, struggling against the urge to bite her knuckle. On the one hand, it didn’t surprise her much, Ryuji was able to tell Kamoshida was the one behind her information being leaked like it was obvious. But, still!

“It was like he wanted to do it though. He called it an ‘act of violence,’ and shut the team down… Thanks to that, the other guys on the team treat me like some kinda traitor…” Ryuji paused for a moment, his gaze turned away from Chiyo. “And they ain’t wrong. ‘Cause of me, they all lost their shot at the championship.”

“Do you want to go back?” Chiyo asked tentatively.

“To the track team?” Ryuji looked back at Chiyo. “Nah. How could I after that?”

A moment of silence fell between them. Chiyo’s lips pursed, her eyes traveled back and forth between Ryuji and the ground. “C’mon,” Ryuji crossed his arms, “don’t ask me tough questions like that. I’m not very smart, y’know!”

_‘But you still managed to get into a prep school,’_ thought Chiyo.

Lightening up, Ryuji clapped Chiyo on the back of her shoulder. “Anyways, it doesn’t matter now. That’s all in the past! I’m only thinkin’ about the future now! That’s what we’re gonna do - build the future! We gotta think positive thoughts, sister!”

Her head listing to the right, Chiyo’s lips pulled into a lopsided grin. Well, Ryuji is nothing if not optimistic.

Without warning, Ryuji got behind her and placed a hand at the small of her back. “You need to work on your posture, though. Keep your back straight,” he guided Chiyo’s back, then placed both hands on her shoulder and gently pulled them back. “Your shoulder should be pulled back, too. Try imagining you’re holding a pencil between them. Keep your head up, eyes forward, and don’t look down.”

Chiyo stayed frozen in her position as Ryuji demonstrated the proper posture to her. He barely let up, nor did he give her the chance to ask questions. She felt a little ridiculous.

###### 

There had to be a better way to hide Morgana away. Chiyo’s shoulder was especially aching after running. She felt sluggish as she walked through Leblanc’s front door, ignoring the ringing bell behind her. She had gotten a couple of sandwiches and a few cans of cat food on her way back.

“Hey,” Sojiro said from behind the bar, sliding a white envelope across the table. “You got something in the mail today.”

“Really?”

She took the envelope into her hands, spotting her name typed out with Leblanc’s address. But she did not recognize the return address. It couldn’t have been junk mail, could it?

Murmuring thanks, Chiyo headed upstairs and let Morgana out of her bag. She laid their food out on the bed; she tore open the envelope. For his part, Morgana remained quiet, opting to stretch out his body in silence. Chiyo read the letter twice before her stomach started to drop. The cold dread that came with realization did not truly hit her until she read it the third time.

It was a phone bill.

Ryou was forcing Chiyo to pay for her smartphone.

###### 

**_Wednesday, April 20th_ **

###### 

Chiyo’s leg bounced as she ran the numbers over again. The bill would end up sapping most of what Chiyo came to Tokyo with. Subtract the bit of yen she risked to buy a lunch on her way to school, that left Chiyo with ¥2,000. She did the numbers thrice only to come up with the same sum.

Groaning, Chiyo berried her face in her arms. Between the bill and her purchases from her own pocket since coming to Tokyo, that was basically everything she had. Gone because someone else put her name on her phone bill.

She dreaded asking Sojiro if he was okay with her getting a part-time job. She dreaded asking him for anything, lest she risk him getting into one of his rants again. Her only form of comfort was the thought that he expected her to cover her own expenses. Her phone, her meals, clothes, anything she needed or desired, Chiyo wouldn’t put it past Sojiro to expect Chiyo to take care of it on her own.

_‘Better get used to it now,’_ said a snide little voice in her head. _‘You’ll have to deal with this daily when your probation’s up. Working day in and day out and still coming up with just enough to live off of instant ramen.’_

_‘Fuck you, capitalism...’_ came Chiyo’s own thoughts.

As she sat up, she readjusted her glasses and got her phone out. She searched her numbers for Leblanc’s landline when it occurred to her that she didn’t have Sojiro’s personal number. That was at least partially his doing by design.

“Leblanc,” she heard Sojiro’s droll voice on the other line, “how can I help you?”

“It’s Chiyo,” she said instantly.

“You better not have-”

“Are you against me getting a part-time job?” Chiyo asked quickly. “I’m running low on cash, and I figured you weren’t going to cover my expenses. Then I thought it was a better idea to ask first before going for it.”

The other line went silent. Chiyo wasn’t sure if she needed to repeat herself, or if Sojiro was mulling over her question. She opened her mouth to repeat herself when Sojiro said, “So long as it doesn’t get in the way of your studies, I don’t see why not.”

“All right, thanks,” Chiyo said with a smile. “I’ll try not to be out late.”

She knelt down, providing cover for Morgana to jump into Chiyo’s bag. “So you’re looking for a bit of work?” the cat asked in a hushed tone. “Good on you for taking the initiative.”

“Thanks,” Chiyo exhaled. “I just don’t know where to go from here.”

In front of her, Ann shouldered her bag and stood up. “Ann,” Chiyo stood up herself, “can I ask you something, quickly?”

“Hmm? What’s up?”

“Where would a student need to go to look for an after-school job?”

Ann brought a hand to her mouth, her pointer finger arched over her lip as she thought. “I think there are job magazines by the Shibuya underground. Looking for a part-time job?”

“Yeah, my money’s running low and my guardian won’t cover the more personal stuff.”

“Sound’s rough.” Ann gave Chiyo a wave of the hand. “But good luck!”

“Thanks.”

###### 

“Hmm…”

Chiyo looked through the job listings. She found three that would bend to a student’s schedule easily; either a convenience store, flower shop, or beef bowl shop. Chiyo never had a part-time job before, her training made it near-impossible for her to. Her money either came from an allowance from Ryou or it was gift money from relatives. So, she wasn’t sure what she’d be suited for.

And though the flower and beef bowl shop paid more, Chiyo decided on the convenience store. It paid less, but between school and Sojiro’s curfew, Triple Seven seemed the only place that would work both ways.

Chiyo put the fliers for the flower and beef bowl shop back and dug for her phone. “A convenience store, then?” questioned Morgana. “Sounds typical for a student.”

“Hush you,” Chiyo said, looking back and forth between her phone and the number on the magazine.

“Hi, this is Triple Seven on Central Street,” said a pleasant voice on the other line.

“Hello, my name is Chiyo Kusakabe, I’m calling about the job opening,” said Chiyo.

“Hold on. I’ll get the manager.”

Chiyo could make out a couple of muffled voices. “Thanks for waiting,” said a man. “So, you wanted to apply for a part-time job?”

“Yes.” Chiyo nodded despite no one being in front of her. “I don’t have much work experience, but I’m not doing too much after school.”

“So you’re a student then,” said the manager. “We usually plan around a student’s schedule. Just mark down the days you’re sure you’ll come in a week in advance and we’ll work around it. I’m always in the store, so you can come straight here. I look forward to working with you.”

_‘Well, that was quick…’_ Chiyo thought, staring dumbly at her phone. She would have thought the manager would have wanted to meet face to face first.

She headed straight to Shibuya Station Central Street, she almost walked past Triple Seven amongst all the crowded shops. She walked in to find cramped isles, with half-a-dozen customers doing their business. “Welcome!” a female clerk greeted from behind the counter. “We’re having a huge sale on all of our hot food items!”

“Hello,” Chiyo greeted, “I’m Chiyo Kusakabe, the manager just hired me.”

“Ah, you’re here,” said a middle-aged man in a gaudy blazer of two tones of pink with cyan blue accents. “So, you’re Chiyo Kusakabe?”

“Yes, sir.”

The manager gestured over his shoulder with his head. “Follow me in back, we’ll see if we have a uniform in your size.”

Chiyo needed to try on three gaudy blazers before she found something that fit. When he was satisfied, he lead Chiyo back behind the register. “We’ll be having you work at the cash register,” explained the manager. “Please watch Nanami and she’ll show you’re the ropes.”

He gestured to a girl with her brown hair done in a ponytail. If Chiyo had to guess, she must have been a year older than her. “Hi, I’m Nanami Shibuya,” the girl greeted. “I guess I’ll be supervising you for a bit.”

“I’ll try my best,” Chiyo said assuringly.

###### 

Chiyo hurried down the front stairs of the bathhouse with her things in her arms. Her hair hung loose, still damp and unbrushed. She came out of work with a ¥2,800 pay, but it left her in a rush to get home to Leblanc and clean up before Sojiro left.

She burst into Leblanc, nearly tripping over herself in the process. Bent over double she could hear her phone vibrating from her bag. She dug it out to find an IM from Ryuji.

| Looks like rumors about our expulsions’ spreading fast.  
---|---  
|  Of course, it is. Shit.  
| I guess we did have a pretty big confrontation with him…  
|  I wouldn’t be surprised if everyone could hear you….  
| Doesn’t matter though. We’re gonna turn the tables.  
| Everyone’ll be totally surprised if we can change Kamoshida’s heart.  
|  I doubt they would believe we were responsible though.  
|  It doesn’t matter. So long as it gets done.  
|  I know that. At this rate, we’re gonna get expelled. We just gotta pull this shit off, no matter what!  
  
“Hey, you got a minute?” Sojiro’s voice caused Chiyo’s head to snap up. She placed her phone in her bag before he could catch a glimpse at the conversation.

“What is it?” asked Chiyo.

“How’s school going? You’re not causing any trouble, are you?”

Chiyo’s brow furrowed. Could Kamoshida have called and implied something? “What’d you mean?” she asked tentatively.

He looked at her like she had just asked what two and two was. “Saying things untoward your classmates, picking fights, skipping class.”

She wanted to sigh in relief, Kamoshida really was going to wait until the board meeting. But what washed over her was not joy or even calm, but growing irritation. Sojiro wanted to go down this road again? Hadn’t Chiyo proven that the first day was an unfortunate fluke? It had been two weeks now, why couldn’t Sojiro just ease back? So what if Kamoshida was an issue. Other than that, Chiyo was doing just fine. “No, I’m not,” Chiyo said through her teeth, “and school’s going just fine.”

As soon as Chiyo responded, she thought of the story of Pinocchio; how his nose would grow with every lie. Thank goodness it was only a story, she didn’t want to think about how long her nose would be growing right now.

“Good,” Sojiro said through a sigh. “I’ve gotta report to your probation officer twice a month. It’s already a pain in the ass as is, so please don’t make me have to write even more crap.”

Her blood was on fire, her hands were trembling. Oh, yes, Sojiro was so goddamn put upon needing to do a little measly paperwork twice a month. How on earth did he carry such a cross so valiantly?

Who cared about the teenager being branded as a harlot when she didn’t do anything? No, no, Sojiro was the one suffering the most.

“You can go and get yourself killed if you want, but don’t go dragging other people into your mess. The last thing we need is more idiots like you roaming around-”

“So I’m an idiot for showing some basic human fucking _decency_?! Fuck you!” Chiyo snapped. She could feel the heat in her face, the rage she felt did not match the intensity she felt when she confronted Kamoshida. No, she wasn’t wishing death upon Sojiro, but _God_ , if she wasn’t fed up with keeping quiet while he said whatever he wanted at her expense. “Oh, wait, wait. Stupid me, I’m an idiot for not minding my own business. I wouldn’t be in this situation otherwise. Obviously, I should have just let that guy rape the woman he was harassing. Seriously. Fuck. You!”

Somewhere along the line, Chiyo began shedding tears of anger. Sojiro looked taken aback by her outburst. Perhaps Chiyo should have simply quit while she was ahead. There was nothing to stop him from throwing her out for talking back like this.

But now that it was out, Chiyo found that she couldn’t stop. The months of silence, while everyone in her life hurled insult after insult at her, had finally grown too much for her to handle. Maybe silence really was the best thing she could do, but it was also draining to just let people throw this verbal abuse at her for the sake of keeping the peace.

She wanted to scream, to wrap her hands around someone’s neck and shake them. To tell them ‘ _this_ is what really happened, dipshit,’ and be done with it. She was tired of people talking to her like she made a mistake like it was her fault she was in this situation, not the man who did this to her in the first place. Like she really was as violent as they thought, as easy as they thought. Like she was lesser than the masses.

“As unbelievable as it sounds, I do not need your constant reminders,” her voice was heavy now. She wasn’t bothering to hide her tears. “I assure you, everyone right down to my classmates will not let me forget anytime soon.” She took a moment to shrug, a gesture overly exaggerated by Chiyo’s heightened emotions. “Not that I need the constant reminders, having lived through everything after all. Don’t think I’m ever gonna.”

She paused, her breathing shuttered on a sob. Goddamnit, why couldn’t they just leave her alone? Everything, everything, had been drilled into her skull enough as it was. Not that they ever needed to. Not when Chiyo spent nights lying awake in tears terrified and overwhelmed.

Boys tempted but ultimately afraid to approach her hoping to get an easy lay. Girls glaring at her behind her back. Everyone thinking she would turn violent over the stupidest thing. Kamoshida thinking he could do whatever he wanted with her body because she was already a harlot. Some boys touching her. The fear that anything she did would be twisted around, blown out of proportion and she would be charted off to juvie. There was no possible way for Chiyo to forget what was at stake, what everyone thought of her.

“But what does it matter?” Chiyo’s voice was warbling. “Who cares what happens to me when there’s an adult involved?”

She hugged her bag close to her, muffling her sobs as she ran past Sojiro and up to her room. She heard Sojiro call for her in a ‘Hey!’ Though she couldn’t decide if he sounded angry or not. A ring from his phone prevented him from following Chiyo upstairs.

Morgana stood at the head of the stairs, having overheard everything. Chiyo threw her things to the side, not caring anymore if she broke something. Not caring anymore if Sojiro decided to throw her out after that outburst. “H-Hey…” Morgana said meekly, still by the stairs, “I know you’re going through something right now, but the Boss is leaving…”

So he wasn’t kicking her out.

For now anyway.

Chiyo’s chest was heaving something fierce. Her hands were feeling numb, and there was sweat coating her brow. Her senses were hyper-aware, and her thoughts would not stay still. She was going to die if she didn’t do something now.

On uneasy legs, Chiyo walked up to her bed and snatched the lighter off the top shelf beside it. She slowly eased herself down onto the floor as she dusted off the lighter. She flicked the lighter on and watched the flame dance in front of her, reflecting brilliantly off her glasses. “H-Hey…” Morgana asked tentatively as he approached Chiyo, “what’re you doing?”

The way Chiyo remembered the arrest and trial was that she was jailed for the rest of the night and the trial was held the following afternoon. In actuality, Chiyo was held for two nights and the trial was held the second afternoon. She thought she acknowledged how fast it happened, and she might have been told that he wanted it done before it had to chance to stick around in the public eye. Chiyo was found guilty of physical assault and prostitution. After some discussion between Chiyo’s lawyer, probation officer, and Ryou, she was released back into her mother’s custody.

There was an unspoken agreement that Chiyo would go to her room as soon as they made it back to their apartment. No sooner had Chiyo closed her bedroom door, she dove for her wastebasket and vomited into it. It didn’t matter how often Chiyo told herself that this wasn’t happening. It was. She felt the cuffs around her wrists, she felt Ryou’s strike across her face and she could feel herself heaving as she vomited.

Chiyo didn’t sleep that night. The following morning, she dared to venture into the kitchen and try to put something in her stomach. Ryou was staring at her coffee maker with her arms crossed tight over her chest. Chiyo wasn’t deliberately trying to start a conversation with her, but everything she was doing sounded so loud compared to a week ago.

“Your school called a few minutes ago,” Ryou said, refusing to meet Chiyo’s gaze. “You’ve been expelled. Obviously. Coach Matsubara has also said that you are not welcomed into her gym. _Obviously!_ ” She shot Chiyo a nasty glare with that one. “I will _try_ to get you transferred into Takio’s school, but I highly doubt they’ll take you.”

Without another word, Ryou poured her coffee into a thermos to go. “If you have _any_ affection for me, you will stay in this apartment,” Ryou hissed venomously. “I’ll look into your schooling situation after work.”

The days passed with few words spoken between them. Ryou would inform Chiyo when she was on her own for dinner, which became increasingly frequent. In the meantime, her former classmates found her number and would not stop sending her messages. How she was a slut and no one wanted her. How she should just save everyone the trouble and off herself. Invitations to meet at a love hotel. Requests to show them her…

After about a week, Chiyo borrowed some of Ryou’s clothes and snuck out of the apartment. Never before had Chiyo been so unnerved going into Ryou’s room until she started to borrow her clothes. Ryou had a couple of art prints from some renowned Japanese artist framed on her walls. Chiyo could feel eyes watching her as she ran her hands through Ryou’s belongings, sizing up her mom’s pants against her waist. “She’ll find out,” the prints seemed to say. “She always finds out.”

Ryou was avoiding the apartment, or rather, she was avoiding Chiyo. At most, Ryou would drop by for a show and a change of clothes, and then she would leave. Sometimes she would let Chiyo know what was going on, usually, she would let her know when Chiyo had to take care of dinner on her own. It was growing increasingly frequent as the days went on. Chiyo did not doubt Ryou was staying with a male coworker and on-again-off-again lover. Never anything beyond someone to relieve tension with.

It came to the point that Chiyo needed groceries, and sneaking out became a necessity. On the third time she snuck out, Chiyo simply wanted peach-flavored water; she wanted comfort and familiarity. Safety in the disillusion that nothing had changed. So, Chiyo put on a pair of Ryou’s jeans, her blouse, and her hooded jacket and walked to the nearest convenience store.

Chiyo kept the hood up, though this was before she dyed her hair, she kept her head down, avoiding eye contact with everyone. She felt like their eyes were on her. She, the nice little gymnast turned violent whore.

In the store, she grabbed a basket, holding it in the crook of her arm as she traveled the shop. She dropped in a couple of bottles of peach-flavored water and a few of her favorite protein bars for the heck of it. She waited in line, making as little small talk with the cashier as she could as the cashier rang her up. After Chiyo gave them the money she owed, she felt a hand plant itself firmly on her ass, another hand cupping her breast.

Whirling around, Chiyo found a boy around her age grinning as though he had just won the jackpot. Behind him was a group of boys, the same age, in matching uniforms. Chiyo had forgotten to consider school hours when she left the apartment. “Firm and supple,” the boy said loud enough for Chiyo to hear. “The rack could be better.”

“Did you just-?!”

“Relax,” the boy said dismissively. “I’m just playing.”

Bile started to rise in Chiyo’s throat as she snatched up the shopping bag and hugged it close to her. It had grown uncomfortably hot, even though winter was on its last legs. Her heart racing in her chest. “Ask for her number,” she heard one of the boy's whisper. “Think she’ll be down for a gang bang?”

“And if her prices are too high, genius?”

“There’s gotta be enough between us to come up with something.”

“Best let her decide what to do. They’re saying she attacked the man who rejected her.”

The heat steadily grew uncomfortable as Chiyo left the store, choking on tears and struggling to breathe. She could still feel that boy’s hands on her, ‘Firm and supple’ repeated itself over and over in her head. So this was what she was now. Someone who was little more than sex on legs. Someone who reacted with violence when told no. Barely a person as far as everyone else cared.

What did it matter who Chiyo was before all of this? She was a good gymnast with a promising future a year ago. She was a good person, wasn’t she? She followed the rules set for her, obeyed the law. So why was she the one suffering someone else consequences?

Society decided who Chiyo was, and that was the end of it.

Though Chiyo tried to hurry home, she ended up stopping more than once. She could feel herself sweating through Ryou’s blouse and her bangs. Her heart wouldn’t stop racing no matter how many times she paused to catch her breath, even her breathing wouldn’t calm down. She was gaping like a fish out of water, yet no one stopped to see if she was okay.

No one paid attention to trash on the street.

When Chiyo finally made it home, she dumped her water and protein bars onto the table and braced herself against it, trying to calm down. She was beginning to feel light-headed and feverish between gasping for breath and the tears in her eyes. There was a tingling sensation in her hands and face. She may end up throwing up again.

Oh, god, she was going to die…

With shaking hands, Chiyo reached across the table for the house phone. She just wanted a friend right now, a kind voice. Someone who wouldn’t judge her. She needed her cousin Takio.

Chiyo found the phone under Ryou’s tax and legal papers. She sunk onto her knees as she punched in her aunt and uncle’s home phone number. As she waited for someone on the other line to pick up, Chiyo’s body was trembling, tears simply streaming down her face. The moister and heat were beginning to cloud her glasses; she’d worn contacts religiously since she was allowed to at the age of twelve. But who was Chiyo trying to impress now that she may as well have been under house arrest?

The other line finally picked up; Chiyo opened her mouth, ready to ask if she could speak with Takio. But the other end abruptly hung up. Her whole body turned as cold as ice. Did her own relatives want nothing to do with her now? No… _No_!

Chiyo was just being silly. Something simply happened on the other end. She’d just call Takio’s personal phone and…

She got his voicemail when she tried calling...

So, Chiyo really was alone in all of this. Her classmates, her cousin, her coach, her parents, had all washed their hands of her.

Her hand went over her mouth as Chiyo was wracked with sobs. How did this happen to her? Hadn’t Chiyo obeyed the laws, listened to her elders? So how did it come to this?

She tried screaming and she didn’t care if anyone else in the building heard her. Then she screamed again. She screamed until her throat was raw, but it wasn’t enough. This chaotic feeling, this sense of despair and hopelessness clung to her like a baby duck clung to its mother. She just wanted it to stop. She didn’t want to _feel_ anything.

Chiyo struggled to climb to her feet; after a bit of trial and error, she stood up. She went straight for the ceramic bowl Ryou had where they put some odds and ends in. There was a cigarette lighter that belonged to Ryou’s coworker slash friend with benefit. It was only ever used when he came over. But, odds were, it would ultimately go unmissed.

She held the lighter to her chest as Chiyo hurried to the bedroom, gasping for breath. Her fingers fumbled as she tried to open the window. Once she got it done, Chiyo sat on the floor by the window and lit the lighter. She kept the flame going for as long as she could. After she extinguished the fire, she brought the hot metal of the lighter into her opposite hand.

She choked on her scream, pain searing into her skin. A fresh set of tears picked at Chiyo’s eyes. And then…

Nothing.

She could breathe again.

###### 

Chiyo extinguished the flame on the lighter. She readied her left hand and lowered the lighter to the skin. Before the hot metal could make contact, a white paw flashed across Chiyo’s vision, batting the lighter out of her hand. It tumbled onto the floor, away from her but still within reach. Morgan sat in front of Chiyo on his back legs, retracting his arm, his glare somehow effective despite looking like a house cat. “What was that for?!” snapped Chiyo.

“ _Seriously_?!” Morgana’s voice cracked. “I mean, _wow_ , I wouldn’t have pegged you as the type to do that! That wasn’t the first time you did that either, was it?!”

Chiyo looked away, absently thumbing at her first burn and feeling the weight of the marks on her wrists. They were healing, but she wasn’t sure if they would scar or not.

After her first burn, the reality of what she had done began to set in. And Chiyo had no idea how to dress the wound. She wrapped it and got an ice bag for it, then looked up online how to properly care for it without going to the hospital.

When she had calmed down, when she closed the window and took care of her water and protein bars, all she could do was stare at her injured hand. Her body had turned cold again the longer she stared at it. Chiyo had hurt herself, and she liked the numbing sensation she got as a result of the pain.

And that scared her.

But that fear didn’t stop her from later putting a knife to her wrist.

A new set of tears threatened to well up in the corners of Chiyo’s eyes. She knew to hurt herself wasn’t the answer, but it was the only way she could get some sense of release. And now, having someone confront her about it... The self-loathing she felt over it... it just came out in such a subdued manner. “Goddamnit…” Chiyo tried to dry her eyes. “The fuck’s wrong with me?”

At her side, Morgana jumped onto the edge of Chiyo’s bed to meet her in the eye. “You just have a lot of intense emotions that want to get out,” Morgana said kindly. “And in this case, letting some of it out at the Boss wasn’t enough. But there are better ways of releasing these emotions.”

Chiyo brought her knees up to her chest and hugged them close to her. “I know that,” she murmured. “I know that. So why did I resort to…?”

“Because you were on your own back then.” Morgana proceeded to puff his chest. “But luckily you’re now living with a highly knowledgeable roommate.”

A slight chuckle escaped Chiyo’s lips as she scratched the back of Morgana’s ear. “Roommate, huh?” she asked. “From an outside perspective, you’re probably more of a therapy cat.”

“Well, either way, I’m doing the gentlemanly thing by helping a lady in need.” He took a moment to stretch out his back. “You’re generally so together in the Palace, leading us through, talking down Shadows, it’s a little easy to forget you’re a lady, too.”

“Am I supposed to take that as a compliment?”

“Kind of. I’d like to think of myself as a guy who could sweep a lady off her feet. But the kind of girl who can handle a lot. I would think there are people out there who prefer that.”

Chiyo’s shoulders shook as she laughed. She stood up and dusted off the back of her skirt. “I’m going to get ready for bed. I’m sure I’ll feel better tomorrow.”

“Even if you do, I want you to pick up a few things. I know of a better alternative the next time you have some intense feelings.”

“Sure thing.”

As Chiyo disappeared downstairs, Morgana jumped nimbly to the floor off the bed. He was going to have to dispose of the lighter so Chiyo wouldn’t try anything again if she felt the urge. And if she did, he swore to himself that he would inform Ann and Ryuji. Hopefully, they would be able to get her the proper help.

###### 

**The Chariot Rank 2**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’ll admit some of Chiyo’s experience with self-harm was based off of a personal experience. My method didn’t involve blood or burning, in fact at the time I wasn’t sure it counted as self-harm, it wasn’t even a habitual occurrence. It was just the only thing I could think of to stop an oncoming panic attack. And what was probably the worst part, not too long after I met my new therapist, she taught me a grounding technique our first session.
> 
> Sucks, but I do think Chiyo was in need of a nice good, breaking point moment. The fact of the matter is, even if you understand that silence is probably your best weapon, it’s hard to keep quite while someone just berates you, berates you, berates you. Especially when they clearly don’t have the full story and when they clearly don’t care about the full story.
> 
> I wouldn’t say Chiyo, nor Sojiro, is particularly in the right. Neither have much of a reason to trust the other, neither were making an effort to change that. But at the same time, Chiyo probably doesn’t need the constant reminders of what could happen if she steps out of line. And on the other hand, Sojiro really isn’t asking too much from her.
> 
> Still, good on Sojiro for giving a distressed girl her space. Or at the very least, realizing that Chiyo doesn't want to speak to him at the moment.
> 
> Originally the issue of Chiyo’s phone never came up. But I eventually realized that if Chiyo was pretty much disowned, it’s unlikely that Ryou would waste money paying for her smartphone.


End file.
